Target Area Planning and Sustainable Development
Geography › Settlements, Human Development and Planning · Topic 18.6
Target area planning directs special programmes to regions that remain backward, such as drought-prone, desert, hill, tribal and command areas, and target group planning focuses on groups such as small farmers. The idea came from the Planning Commission to reduce regional imbalance. Sustainable development, defined by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Settlements, Human Development and Planning
At a Glance
- Target area programmes Command area, drought, desert, hill
- Target group Small and marginal farmers
- Brundtland Report Our Common Future, 1987
- SDGs 17 goals to 2030
- Present tools Aspirational Districts, Vibrant Villages
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Settlements, Human Development and Planning
Where Does It Fit?
This is the sixth topic of the macro on settlements, human development and planning. The previous topic measured human development, and this one explains how plans are targeted to backward regions and how development is made sustainable. The last topic of the macro gives two case studies of planning. Previous topic: Measuring Human Development and India Position. Next topic: Case Studies – Indira Gandhi Canal and Bharmaur Tribal Region.
What Is Target Area Planning?
In short: target area planning gives extra attention and money to places that the general plan leaves behind.
Development depends on the resource base of a region, but resource-rich regions can still be backward if they lack technology and investment, as the mineral-rich plateau of eastern India shows. After about fifteen years of planning, India found that regional imbalances were growing. To arrest the regional and social disparities, the Planning Commission introduced the target area and target group approaches. Planning at the national level was taken over by NITI Aayog in 2015, replacing the Planning Commission, but the idea of focusing on backward areas has continued.
| Programme | Start and aim | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Command Area Development Programme | 1974-75; to improve the use of irrigation water and farm productivity in major irrigation projects | Land levelling, field channels, better water management, as in the Indira Gandhi Canal |
| Drought Prone Area Programme | Fourth Plan; to create employment and productive assets in drought-prone areas | Started with labour-intensive works, then moved to watershed management, irrigation, afforestation and grass development; about 67 districts were identified in 1967 and the Irrigation Commission of 1972 used the test of less than 30 per cent irrigated area |
| Desert Development Programme | Hot and cold deserts | Afforestation, shelterbelts, sand dune stabilisation, water harvesting, as in Dry and Warm Temperate Climates (Groups B and C) |
| Hill Area Development Programme | Fifth Plan; first for hill districts of Uttarakhand, Assam, Darjeeling and the Nilgiris | The National Committee of 1981 recommended that all hill areas above 600 m, and not covered by the tribal sub-plan, be treated as backward; focuses on horticulture, plantations, animal husbandry and small industries |
| Tribal Sub-Plan and North-East programmes | Eighth Plan special area programmes for hill, tribal, north-eastern and backward areas | Infrastructure and basic services |
Target group programmes, such as the Small Farmers Development Agency and the Marginal Farmers Development Agency, focus on people and not on places. The drought-prone areas lie in the semi-arid tracts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada, Rayalaseema, Telangana, the Karnataka plateau and the interior of Tamil Nadu, while the irrigated areas of Punjab and Haryana are largely protected.
What Is Sustainable Development?
- Evolution of the idea: after the Second World War, development meant economic growth in GNP and per capita income. But rapid growth could be accompanied by growing poverty and inequality, so in the 1970s phrases such as redistribution with growth were added, and in the 1980s development came to include well-being, health, education and rights, as in Human Development – Concept and Pillars.
- Brundtland Report: the World Commission on Environment and Development published Our Common Future in 1987, defining sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- Global milestones: the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and Agenda 21; the Paris Agreement of 2015 on climate; and the 2030 Agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015, covering poverty, hunger, health, education, gender, water, energy, growth, inequality, cities, climate, oceans and land.
- Three dimensions: economic, social and environmental, which must be balanced.
How Does India Plan for Backward Regions Today?
The Aspirational Districts Programme, launched in 2018, picks out 112 districts that lag on health, education, agriculture, finance and infrastructure, and ranks them on a set of indicators, with the District Magistrate leading and the NITI Aayog monitoring. The Aspirational Blocks Programme, begun in 2023, applies the same idea to 500 blocks. The Vibrant Villages Programme, approved in 2023, targets the development of border villages along the northern frontier. The SDG India Index of NITI Aayog ranks states, and Keralam (Kerala) and Uttarakhand have been among the top performers in recent editions. The Backward Regions Grant Fund and the special category status for hill and north-eastern states served earlier needs, and the Finance Commissions now use measures of income distance and population to transfer funds.
As an analytical point, the evidence on area programmes is mixed: they were often scattered over too many areas, depended on schemes designed at the centre, and were weak in local participation. The lessons, from watershed programmes to the aspirational districts, are that outcomes improve when the targets are measurable, the district administration has flexibility, and communities take part. The sustainable development of the backward area also requires ecological care, since the same hills, deserts and drylands are the most fragile, which is the theme of the case studies of the next topic.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Facts Programmes and definitions asked
- Current affairs Aspirational districts and villages
- Concept Sustainability
What Came Next?
The last topic of the macro presents two case studies of planning in practice. Next topic: Case Studies – Indira Gandhi Canal and Bharmaur Tribal Region.
Key People and Terms
- Target area Backward region for special planning
- Target group Disadvantaged people for special schemes
- Brundtland Report Our Common Future, 1987
- SDG Sustainable Development Goal
- Aspirational district Lagging district under NITI programme
- Watershed Land area drained to one outlet, a planning unit
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Brundtland Report: 1987, Our Common Future.
- 17 SDGs, adopted in 2015.
- Hill areas: above 600 m.
- Aspirational Districts: launched in 2018.
- NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission.
Do Not Confuse With
- Target area and target group Place-based versus people-based
- Growth and sustainable development More output versus meeting needs without harming the future
- Aspirational districts and blocks 112 districts versus 500 blocks
Memory Hook
Command, drought, desert, hill: aim at the area; Brundtland says: leave the future its share.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about regional disparities and sustainability. These points add depth.
- Need Regional imbalance
- Tools Area programmes and aspirational districts
- Principle Sustainability
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Explain the concept of target area planning and discuss how sustainable development can be achieved in the backward hill and drought-prone areas of India.”
How to Answer
- Need Regional disparity.
- Programmes Command to hill area.
- Sustainability Brundtland and SDGs.
- Present Aspirational districts.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is target area planning?
Target area planning is the approach of directing special development programmes to regions that have remained economically backward, such as drought-prone, desert, hill, tribal and irrigation command areas. It was introduced by the Planning Commission to reduce regional and social disparities that were growing in the course of planning.
What are some examples of target area programmes in India?
Examples of target area programmes are the Command Area Development Programme, the Drought Prone Area Programme, the Desert Development Programme and the Hill Area Development Programme. Target group programmes, such as the Small Farmers Development Agency, focus on certain groups of people rather than places.
What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, as defined by the Brundtland Commission report Our Common Future in 1987. It balances economic growth, social inclusion and protection of the environment.
What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals adopted by all United Nations members in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda. They cover ending poverty and hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water and energy, decent work, reduced inequality, sustainable cities, climate action, oceans and land, and partnerships.
What is the Aspirational Districts Programme?
The Aspirational Districts Programme, launched in 2018 by NITI Aayog, focuses on 112 districts that lag in development indicators of health and nutrition, education, agriculture, financial inclusion and infrastructure. The districts are ranked on measurable indicators, and the local administration leads convergence of schemes. A similar programme for 500 blocks began in 2023.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Command Area Development Programme aims at better use of irrigation water.
It started in 1974-75.
2 The Brundtland Report was published in 1987.
It is titled Our Common Future.
3 Target group approach focuses only on regions and not on people.
It focuses on groups of people.
4 There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
They are to be achieved by 2030.
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