Aspirational Districts Programme  

The broad contours of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), launched by NITI Aayog, Government of India in January 2018, are convergence (of Central andState Schemes), collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers and District Collectors), and competition among districts driven by a spirit of mass movement. With States as the main drivers, this programme will focus on the strength of each district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.  Out of the 117 districts identified from 28 states, Wayanad is the only Aspirational District in Kerala.

The sectors under the programme are health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development, and basic infrastructure. There are 49 Key Performance Indicators with 81 data points. On the basis of monthly data being furnished by the district concerned in the dashboard of ‘Champions of Change’, ranking of that district in comparison with performance of other aspirational districts is derived by the NITI Aayog.

The District Planning Officer is the nodal officer cum convener of the programme in the district.