Vibrant Villages Programme [UPSC Notes]

The Union Cabinet approved the creation of seven new Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) battalions. Also through the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) Rs 4,800 crore was allocated to strengthen the security and social framework along the China border.

The Cabinet has also approved a 4.1-kilometre Shinku-La tunnel on the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha-Manali route to provide all-weather access to Ladakh. Know more about these important developments and the Vibrant Villages Programme in this article for the UPSC exam.

Vibrant Villages Programme

About Vibrant Villages Programme:

• The Vibrant Villages Programme was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 (to 2025-26) for the development of villages along the northern border.
• It will cover 2,963 villages in total and in the first phase, 663 will be taken up.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
• Its objective is to improve the quality of life of people living in border villages.
• It will run through Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim.
• There will be no duplication with the Border Area Development Programme.
• The district administration will create Vibrant Village Action Plans with the assistance of Gram Panchayats.
• Objectives of the programme:
  • The scheme assists in identifying and developing economic drivers based on natural resources, local resources, human resources and other resources of northern border villages.
  • Developmen of sustainable eco-agribusinesses based on the ‘one village-one product’ concept through community-based organisations, cooperatives, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
  • Exploiting tourism potential by promoting traditional knowledge, local-culture and heritage.
  • Growth is centred on the “hub and spoke model,” which promotes social entrepreneurship and the empowerment of youth and women through skill development and entrepreneurship.

Vibrant Villages Programme Significance

The announcement of this programme is very important for the development of the border areas of the country and this will not only help reap economic growth for the people living in those areas but also help tighten security along the country’s volatile borders.

• It would help in the effective monitoring of the battalion and border areas.
• It can be used by ITBP to recuperate, rest and train its personnel.
• It strengthens the security grid on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 
• This decision has been taken in the context of India-China issues along the LAC in Ladakh. 
• Chinese PLA troops are still present in the Demchok and Depsang Plains. China is also boosting its infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 

Significance of Vibrant Villages Programme for Arunachal Pradesh

• The scheme’s objectives are to identify and exploit the border village’s local, natural, human, and other resources as economic drivers.
• Every person living in a village will have access to services provided by the Indian government, and residents would receive the advantages of numerous programmes. 
• The plan also aims to increase employment prospects in Arunachal Pradesh by promoting local, cultural, and traditional knowledge, and history in border regions, which has the potential to boost tourism.

Conclusion: The Vibrant Villages Programme’s objectives are to improve the quality of life for residents in designated border villages while providing complete development of the villages along the China border. Development in these communities will aid in reducing migration, which will also increase security.

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