Objective:  The scheme was launched on October 24, 2025, in Rajasthan to promote socio-economic development in the identified blocks, drawing upon the framework of the Aspirational District/Block Programme of NITI Aayog.

Strategy:

• The plan promotes innovation-based programs in crucial sectors across all designated blocks. These sectors include Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Allied Services, Infrastructure, Skill Development, and Social Development.
• The scheme has been initiated in one block from each of the state’s 41 districts.

Financial Provisions: The State Budget for 2025-26 has provisioned ₹75 crore for Aspirational Block Development. This includes a provision of ₹1.5 crore (untied funds) for each block.

Implementation

• All 41 selected blocks have completed the baseline data collection, and the Block Development Strategies have been received from all of them.
• Plans of Action have been received from 30 blocks related to the scheme.
• Monitoring of the development programmes is based on 39 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Monitoring committees have been established at the State level, chaired by the Chief Secretary, and at the District and Block levels, chaired by the District Collector.

Incentives Annual awards will be conferred as incentives to the best-performing blocks under the scheme. The prize money for the first, second, and third-ranked blocks will be ₹50 lakh, ₹35 lakh, and ₹25 lakh respectively.

Aspirational District Programme (ADP)

• This programme was launched in 2018 to uplift backward districts across India. 112 Aspirational Districts were identified nationwide.
• Five districts in Rajasthan—Baran, Dholpur, Jaisalmer, Karauli, and Sirohi—have been identified as Aspirational Districts under this programme.
• Work is monitored and evaluated based on 49 indicators, and districts are awarded prize money based on this evaluation.
• The programme is operated by the Central Government and NITI Aayog.

Aspirational Block Programme (ABP)

• Inspired by the success of the Aspirational District Programme, the ABP was launched in 2023 to elevate 500 backward blocks in India.
• 27 blocks from Rajasthan have been included in this programme.

Practice Question

Q) Consider the following statements:

1. The Guru Golwalkar Aspirational Block Development Scheme includes 41 blocks in the state of Rajasthan.
2. The Aspirational District Programme includes 4 districts from the state of Rajasthan.
3. The Aspirational Block Programme includes 25 blocks from the state.

Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

a) Only 1

b) Only 1 and 2

c) Only 2 and 3

d) All statements are incorrect.

Ans (c): Only 2 and 3