Vibrant Villages Programme

Vibrant Villages Programme

Why in News? 

Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Phase-II of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) on February 20, 2026, from Nathanpur in Assam’s Cachar district.

What is the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP)?

• About: The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the comprehensive development of remote border villages having sparse population, limited connectivity and poor infrastructure along India’s international land borders. 

• Launched Year: Phase-I of VVP was approved on 15 February 2023 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to develop villages along India’s northern borders.

• Phase-II was approved on 2 April 2025 and was launched by Union Home Minister on 20 February 2026 in Assam to expand development to villages along other international borders. 

• Objectives: The programme aims to provide better living conditions, generate sustainable livelihood opportunities, strengthen internal and border security, prevent cross-border crimes, and integrate border populations into national development by encouraging them to act as the “eyes and ears” of border guarding forces. 

• Authority: The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Department of Border Management in coordination with State Governments, District Administrations and Gram Panchayats. 

• Financial Outlay: Under Phase-I, the Ministry of Home Affairs sanctioned 2,558 projects worth ₹3,431 crore for development activities in selected northern border villages.

• Phase-II has been approved as a Central Sector Scheme with a total financial outlay of ₹6,839 crore up to FY 2028-29 for comprehensive development of additional border villages.

• Coverage: Phase-I covers 662 villages in 46 blocks across 19 districts in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and UT of Ladakh.

• Phase-II will cover 1,954 villages across 15 States and 2 Union Territories covering Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

• Features:

• • Infrastructure Development: The programme provides all-weather road connectivity, housing support and creation of essential village infrastructure to improve accessibility in remote border areas and ensure integration with national economic networks.
  • Telecom & Digital Connectivity: VVP ensures television and telecom connectivity, including mobile and internet access in border villages, enabling digital inclusion and improving communication for governance, education and emergency response systems.
  • Electrification & Renewable Energy: It promotes energy access through electrification and renewable energy solutions such as solar infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted power supply and sustainable development in geographically isolated areas.
  • Livelihood Generation: The programme supports agriculture, horticulture, cooperative societies and cultivation of medicinal plants to generate sustainable income opportunities and reduce migration from border regions.
  • Tourism Promotion: VVP encourages development of eco-tourism, cultural heritage tourism and local festivals to create employment and promote indigenous traditions while enhancing local economies.
  • Skill Development & Entrepreneurship: It focuses on skill training, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development to build human capital and create locally sustainable economic ecosystems.
  • Community Participation: Village-level plans are prepared with involvement of Gram Panchayats and local communities to identify natural and human resources for holistic development through a hub-and-spoke growth model.

Significance of Vibrant Villages Programme Phase I

• • Strategic Demographic Anchoring: VVP-I successfully addressed the “empty village” syndrome along the LAC. By establishing self-sustaining habitats, the government has incentivized reverse migration in 662 villages. This demographic anchoring serves as a non-kinetic defense layer, ensuring the nation’s “first line of defense” remains present to provide real-time intelligence.

• Civil-Military Economic Symbiosis: A revolutionary impact of Phase-I is the localized supply chain integration. Security forces like the ITBP now prioritize purchasing fresh produce and dairy from local cooperatives within these villages. This has created a captive market for farmers, boosting household incomes by nearly 30% in remote clusters.

• Holistic Multi-Modal Connectivity: Beyond simple roads, Phase-I focused on digital and energy autonomy. While 2,500 km of roads were sanctioned, the focus on 4G saturation and off-grid solar micro-grids has empowered border youth. This “digital bridge” has allowed for the implementation of tele-medicine and e-governance, effectively ending socio-geographic isolation.

• Cultural Resurgence and Soft Power: The programme has leveraged border tourism as a tool for national integration. By recognizing villages as “Best Tourism Villages,” the government has turned indigenous crafts and Himalayan heritage into a global brand. 

• Saturation-Based Governance Model: Phase-I pioneered the “Whole-of-Government” approach, ensuring 100% saturation of 15 essential central schemes. By establishing Aadhaar-linked banking kiosks and permanent health centers in the remotest corners, the state has eliminated the “governance deficit.”