Summary: New India @ 75 - Part 1
Ch 35: Balanced Regional Development | Reading Time - 3 Mins
In 2018, NITI Ayog published a report titled Strategy for NEW India @75. While the entire report contains valuable information for a UPSC aspirant, the last section on Governance will be doubly helpful for a PubAd student.
Why do we need to quote facts/opinions from reports?
Most aspirants who write answers might cover generic points related to the question. Those who wish to differentiate their answers from the rest do additional reading and enrich their answers.
Student 1: “Civil Service Reforms are needed in our country”
Student 2: “Lateral entry and specialisation must be encouraged as part of civil service reforms (New India @75 report - NITI Ayog)
Now, which of the above two sounds more credible to you??
This is the same logic for quoting relevant thinkers. Whenever a topic related to conflict management arises, the views of Mary Parker Follet must be included.
Let us briefly look at each chapter and understand the aspects that need extra focus. We would strongly recommend that you read the original report.
35. Balanced Regional Development: Transforming Aspirational Districts
[Paper-2: Ch5 - Plans and Priorities → Social Justice]
Possible reasons for the backwardness of 115 identified districts:
A relatively poorer endowment of physical resources,
Lack of infrastructure,
Poor social capital,
Low standards of health, nutrition, education and skill,
Poor governance and above all,
Inhabitants are demotivated due to years of poverty and deprivation [Motivational theories → Maslow, Herzberg]
Additional constraints identified:
Governance: The institutional framework has been fragmented because of the multiplicity of implementing agencies and schemes. [Unity of Command → Fayol ]
Non-availability of periodical data makes it difficult to track progress and implement evidence-based policymaking [Rational Policymaking model; Need for MIS ]
There is a lack of competitiveness among districts to improve developmental performance[ Policy evaluation; Development dynamics ]
Way Forward Suggested:
Create a positive narrative of development by making development a mass movement [ Aspirational instead of Backward districts]
Use data to inform decision-making and spur competition among districts [e-Governance and IT]
Converge initiatives across all levels of government [ Whole of Government Approach ]
ADP → Aspirational District Program Promote federalism and put in place institutional mechanisms to ensure teamwork between the central, state and district administration [Paper-2: Ch 7 → Union-State-local relations]
Joint Secretary/Additional Secretary has been appointed as ‘guardians’ (‘prabharis’) for a district to act as a bridge between the central and state governments.
Partner with expert organizations with demonstrated technical competence [Civil Society; Network Governance]. NITI Ayog partnered with Tata Trusts in the implementation of ADP.
That brings to an end the summary of the 35th chapter. We will share the summary of the other six chapters in the coming days.
Have you read any other reports recently? Would these summaries be helpful to you?
Read the second part of this series here
