NITI Aayog, JICA Sign Pact To Boost Sustainable Development In Aspirational Districts And Blocks

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) India and Japan on Monday took another important step to deepen their development partnership with the signing of a key agreement aimed at supporting sustainable growth in India’s most underdeveloped regions.

NITI Aayog and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed the Record of Discussions for Phase II of the“Project for Promotion of the Programme for Japan–India Cooperative Actions Towards Sustainable Development Goals”.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director for the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme at NITI Aayog, and Takeuchi Takuro, Chief Representative of JICA India.

The project is designed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a special focus on India’s Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks.

These areas include some of the country’s most underserved regions, where improvements in basic services and livelihoods are a key priority.

Speaking at the event, Rohit Kumar said the partnership brings together the strengths of both institutions, along with shared knowledge and practical experience from the ground.

He noted that this collaboration would help speed up inclusive development and improve the quality of governance in these districts and blocks.

Under the Aspirational Districts Programme and Aspirational Blocks Programme, the project aims to strengthen policies and implementation systems across six major areas, including health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development, basic infrastructure, and global partnerships.

A strong emphasis will be placed on building institutional capacity, improving monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring that the SDGs are effectively implemented at the local level.

The project will also promote people-to-people exchanges and capacity-building initiatives, organise Japan–India knowledge forums, and support the identification and sharing of best practices.

Targeted assistance will be provided to selected districts and blocks to help them improve outcomes on key development indicators.

JICA India Chief Representative Takeuchi Takuro praised the progress made under India’s Aspirational Districts and Blocks programmes.

He said that India’s monitoring systems at the district and block level are among the best in the world and highlighted that the project reflects a mutually beneficial partnership between India and Japan.

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