(a) whether the number of backward districts in the country are on the increase in recent
years;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise during the last three years;
(c) the reasons therefor;
(d) the reaction of the Government thereto;
(e) whether the Government has conducted any survey with regard to the extent of
backwardness in backward areas of the country;
(f) if so, the details thereof; and
(g) the parameters evolved by the Government to remove backwardness of the said areas?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS,SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES(DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a)to (g): Various norms have been adopted for the identification of backward districts under
different schemes.The specific scheme for the development of backward districts in the country
is the District Component of the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) under which 250 districts
have been identified for coverage. These include the 200 districts covered under the first
phase of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) and 170 districts identified
by the Inter Ministry Task Group on Redressing Growing Regional Imbalances (IMTG) based on
17 socio-economic variables. 120 districts are common in the two lists. The NREGP districts
were identified on the basis of an index of backwardness comprising three parameters with equal
weights to each namely, value of output per agricultural worker, agriculture wage rate and
percentage of SC/ST population of the district. The list of 17 parameters used by IMTG is at
Annex-I. No separate survey has been conducted by the Planning Commission. Based upon the above
criteria, the number of backward districts has not changed.
Government has recently approved an Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for 60 Selected Tribal and
Backward Districts of nine States, 59 of which are included in the BRGF. The criteria adopted
for selection of these 60 districts are:(i) the district is in the list of 83 Security Related
Expenditure (SRE) scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs, (ii) the tribal population of the
district exceeds 25%, (iii) the forest area of the district exceeds 30%, (iv) poverty ratio
in the district exceeds 50% and (v) the district is covered under the District Component of
the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF). Districts meeting four out of the five criteria and
forming a contiguous block have been included. Further, those districts that were in the list
of 35 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Districts, but do not meet the above criteria,
have also been included.
For the implementation of the Multi-sectoral Development Programme, the Ministry of
Minority Affairs has identified 90 districts as backward. The norms adopted for backwardness
by the Ministry of Minority Affairs are at Annex-II.
Annex-I
17 Parameters used by the Inter-Ministry Task Group for Redressing Growing Regional Imbalances
for identification of backward districts.
1. Economic
(i) Per Capita Credit
(ii) Per Capita Deposits
(iii) % of Agriculture Labourers
(iv) Agriculture Wages
(v) Output per Agricultural Worker
2. Social and Educational
(i) % of SC Population
(ii) % of ST Population
(iii) Female Literacy Rate
(iv) Ratio of Secondary Schools to Population of Specific Age Group
(v) Gross Enrolment Ratio Class I-VIII (Age 6-13years)
3. Health:
(i) Crude Death Rate
(ii) Infant Mortality Rate
(iii) Institutional Delivery
(iv) Full Immunisation
4. Amenities:
(i) % of Households without Electricity
(ii) % of Households with Bank Services
(iii) % of Households with Drinking Water Source greater than 500 metres away.
Annex- II
The Norms adopted for backwardness by the Multi-sectoral Development Programme of Ministry of
Minority Affairs
Criteria for religion specific socio-economic indicators at the district level:-
Literacy level
Female literacy rate
Work participation rate and
Female work participation rate
Basic amenities indicators at the district level:-
Percentage of households with pucca walls
Percentage of households with safe drinking water
Percentage of households with electricity; and
Percentage of households with water closet latrines