Malnutrition fight in aspirational dists gives states ₹1.4L-cr boost

NEW DELHI: Targeted policy intervention has helped the countrys 112 backward or aspirational districts reap significant economic benefits and a study has estimated the impact of reducing severe acute malnutrition for states at Rs 1.43 lakh crore and providing households latrines at Rs 400 crore.
The study conducted by the IFCs Institute of Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperatives says the economic benefits can provide a strong rationale for the government in investing in programmes directed towards social benefits. The Centres Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) has also found endorsement from global experts like Harvard Business Schools professor Michael Porter and MIT professor Scott Stern.
The study highlighted three areas of best practices which had emerged from the aspirational districts programme. These include awareness, collaboration and data based interventions. Several districts have used awareness campaigns to reach out to the population which have been detached from the development process. The study said that the use of data to measure impact, locate nodes for improvement and identify policy and interventions that are driving change is critical to the success of the programme.
“ADP marks an important shift from pursuing economic growth per se to focusing on achieving meaningful social progress. ADP benchmarks in 112 less developed Indian districts and enables partnerships among states in driving success,” according to Porter and Stern .
“The Aspirational districts programme launched in 2018 has been a bold and strategic step. The ADP marks an important shift from pursuing economic growth for its own sake to achieving meaningful social progress in each of Indias regions,” said Stern.
ADP covers five sectors which include health and nutrition, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill devRead More – Source

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