Ramgarh block of Dumka district of Jharkhand ranked 2nd in NITI Aayog's first delta ranking of ABP

• 09 Dec 2023

Why in News?

Ramgarh block of Dumka district of Jharkhand in eastern India, included in Zone 6, has been ranked 2^nd in the first delta ranking of the Aspirational Block Program (ABP) announced by NITI Aayog on December 7, 2023.

Key Points:

• In the first Delta Ranking of Aspirational Block Program (ABP), Tiriyani Kumuram Bheem block of Asifabad, Telangana got 1^st position and Kaushambi block of Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh got 2nd position.
• The blocks are divided geographically into six zones and ranking is given to two blocks from each zone.
  • Zone 1, which includes hilly & north-eastern states as well as islands, was ranked 1st and 2nd by Amri block (West Karbi Anglong, Assam) & Ngopa block (Saitual, Mizoram) respectively.
  • In Zone 2, which covers North Indian states, Harraiya block of Basti district of Uttar Pradesh stood first and Virno block of Ghazipur district stood second.
  • In Zone 3 comprising southern states, Maski block (Raichur, Karnataka) and Naranur (Adilabad, Telangana) were declared the top rankers.
• In the western Indian states, which include Zone 4, Sironcha and Aheri blocks in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra emerged as winners.
• Under Zone 5, Tirla block of Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh and Pat block of Barwani district were the winners in Central India.
• In Eastern India included in Zone 6, Andar block of Siwan district of Bihar stood 1st and Ramgarh block in Dumka of Jharkhand stood 2^nd.
• The winners in all categories will be awarded a prize money of Rs 1.5 crore for the top rank and Rs 1 crore for the 2nd rank.
• The ranking of the blocks was calculated based on the performance of the blocks and the progress achieved in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the month of June, 2023.
• Ranking the blocks based on KPIs is a core strategy of the programme, which is based on the spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism. This is the first time that a ranking of blocks has been calculated as part of the Aspirational Block Programme.
• It may be noted that the Aspirational Block Program (ABP) was started on January 7, 2023. ABP focuses on improving governance to enhance the quality of life of citizens in India's most difficult and relatively underdeveloped blocks. 500 blocks in 329 districts across 27 states and 4 union territories in India are part of this programme.