New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS): The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday signed a Statement of Interest (SoI) with the NITI Aayog to improve the quality of life of citizens in three aspirational districts of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

"Our focus will be on education, elder care, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and clean and safe drinking water," NSE Foundation Rema Mohan told IANS after signing the SoI here in the presence of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

The three districts selected by the NSE Foundation (NSEF) and the NITI Aayog are Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, Karauli in Rajasthan and Nandurbar in Maharashtra. The NSE Foundation is working independently at Birbhum district in West Bengal.

The Niti Aayog and the NSEF would collaborate towards the review and co-creation of strategic action plan and spearhead scoping studies and formative researches for innovative solutions in the identified sectors, the NSE said in a release.

"The Aspirational Districts programme aims to align on-ground stakeholders and administrative structures towards improvement of crucial indicators of human and social development. Health, nutrition and education constitute a core component of the programme, which will help leverage our demographic dividend as we move towards a new India," Kant said.