NITI Aayog: National Institute for Transforming India

On August 13, 2014, the Modi government disbanded the 65-year-old Planning Commission, stating that it would be replaced by a new organisation. As a result, on January 1, 2015, the NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India) was established. NITI Aayog, like the Planning Commission, was established by an executive decree of the Indian government. As a result, it is neither constitutionally nor statutorily protected. It is a non-constitutional or extra-constitutional body, meaning it was created outside of the Constitution. It’s also a non-statutory organisation, which means it wasn’t created by a law passed by the legislature. NITI Aayog is the Government of India’s top policy ‘Think Tank’, providing both strategic and policy input. While creating long-term and strategic plans and programmes.

The new institution will serve as a development catalyst, developing an overall enabling environment through a holistic approach to development that goes beyond the public sector and the Indian government. The following pillars will be used to construct this:

1) Empowering states to participate in national development as equal partners; bringing the Cooperative Federalism ideal into practice.
2) An internal and external resource hub that serves as a library of good governance best practices and a Think Tank that provides domain knowledge and strategic expertise to all levels of government.
3) A collaborative platform for tracking progress, fixing gaps, and bringing together disparate ministries at the federal and state levels in the pursuit of a single goal to make implementation easier.

Composition

The Prime Minister of India chairs the NITI Aayog

-Governing Council, is made up of the Chief Ministers of all Indian states, as well as the Chief Ministers of Union Territories and legislators.

– Regional Councils are constituted to deal with unique concerns and situations that affect multiple states or regions. The Prime Minister convenes these meetings, which are attended by the Chief Ministers of States and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories in the region. The NITI Aayog Chairperson or his nominee chairs these meetings. Special invitees are experts, professionals, and practitioners with extensive domain knowledge who have been nominated by the Prime Minister.

-Full-time Organizational Framework: It includes the Prime Minister as Chairperson, as well as other members.

-Vice-Chairperson: The Prime Minister appoints him. He holds the position of Cabinet Minister.

– Members: Full-time. They enjoy the rank of a Minister of State.

– Part-time Members: Maximum of 2, from leading universities, research organisations and other relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity. 

– Ex-Officio Members: Maximum of 4 members of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the PM.

– Chief Executive Officer: He is appointed by the Prime Minister. They enjoy the rank of a Minister of State.

-Part-time Members: Maximum of 2, from leading universities, research organisations and other relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity.

– Ex-Officio Members: Maximum of 4 members of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the PM.

– Chief Executive Officer: He is appointed by the Prime Minister.

Objectives 

1) To create a shared national development vision.
2) To promote federalism in which states work together.
3) Create mechanisms for developing credible plans at the village level.
4) To ensure that national security interests are served in areas specifically referred to it.
5) Paying special attention to the segments of our society that may be at risk of not benefiting sufficiently from economic progress.
6) Create strategic and long-term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives, as well as track their progress.
7) To provide guidance and encouragement to important stakeholders and like-minded national and international partners.
8) Create a structure to foster knowledge, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
9) Actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and initiatives.
10) To make technical advancement a priority.

The NITI Aayog is built on seven pillars of successful governance:

• A pro-people programme that addresses both social and individual needs(Pro-People).
• Anticipates and responds to citizens’ needs in a proactive manner(Pro-Activity).
• The process is more participative since citizens are involved(Participation).
• Women’s empowerment in all aspects of their lives(Empowering).
• All ethnic groups are represented, with a particular emphasis on SCs, STs, OBCs, and minorities(Inclusion of all ).
• Young people have the same opportunities as adults(Equality).
• Using technology to make government more visible and responsive, transparency is accomplished(Transparency).

Erstwhile Planning Commission

In March 1950, the Planning Commission was founded. It was established by an executive resolution of the GOI, based on the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Board. In 1946, the Planning Commission was established under the chairmanship of KC Neogi.

Functions

1) To examine the country’s material, capital, and people resources and study the possibility of supplementing them.
2) 2. To develop a strategy for the most effective and balanced use of the country’s resources.
3) Establish priorities and identify the stages in which the strategy should be implemented.
4) To identify the issues that impede economic progress.
5) Identifying the type of machinery
6) Periodically assess the progress made in carrying out the strategy and propose required changes.
7) To make appropriate recommendations to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities or to give advice on an issue brought to it for guidance by the federal or state governments.

Composition

1. India’s Prime Minister served as the commission’s chairman.
2. There was a deputy chairman on the commission. He was the de facto executive director of the commission (full-time functional head). He was in charge of drafting the Five-Year Plan and submitting it to the Central Cabinet.
3. Some Central Ministers were appointed to the commission as part-time members.
4. There were four to seven full-time experts on the commission. The title of minister of state was bestowed upon them.
5. There is a member-secretary on the commission. He was normally a senior member of the IAS.

Questions Based on NITI Aayog and Planning Commission

1) Who is the current CEO of the NITI Aayog?
Rajeev Kumar (a)
Amitabh Kant (b) 
Manmohan Singh 
c)Prime Minister Narendra Modi (d) 
Answer. B

2) Which of these statements about the NITI Aayog is true? 
(a) NITI Aayog was established on January 15, 2011. 
(b) NITI Aayog is part of the Ministry of Home Ministers.
(c) NITI Aayog’s full name is National Institute for Transforming India. 
(d) The NITI Aayog is the Government of India’s policy think tank. 
Ans. D

3) When was the NITI Aayog founded? 
(a) January 1, 2015 
(b) January 25, 2013
(c) May 14, 1995 
(d) February 8, 1950
Ans. A

4) Who is a member of the NITI Aayog’s Governing Council?
(a) All state chief ministers All state chief ministers  
(b) Delhi and Puducherry chief ministers  
(c) Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Island  
(d) All of the above
Ans. D

5) Headquarter of NITI Aayog?
(a) Mumbai
b) New Delhi
c) Kolkata
d) Bihar
Ans. B 

6) In what year was the Planning Commission established?
a) March 1946
b) March 1943
c) January 2015
d) March 1950
Ans. D

7) In which year The Unique Identification Authority of India has constituted an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission?
a) 2021
b) 2016
c) 2009
d) 2007
Ans. C

8) National Informatics Centre was brought under which ministry from Planning Commission?
a) Home Ministry
b) Information and Technology
c) Ministry of External Affairs
d) None of these
Ans. B

9) Who was the Chairman of the Planning Commission?
a) Prime Minister
b) Home Minister
c) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
d) Deputy Speaker
Ans. A

10) When was Planning Commission scrapped?
a) 2015
b) 2019
c) 2008
d) 2014
Ans. D

11) Which of the following has been called as ‘Fifth Wheel of the coach’, ‘Super Cabinet’, an ‘Economic Cabinet’, a ‘Parallel Cabinet’ and so on?
a) Planning Commission
b) NITI Aayog
c) Cabinet
d) Finance Ministry
Ans. A

12) Planning Commission was established under the chairmanship of?
a) K. Narasimha Rao
b) Dr Manmohan Singh
c) Jawahar Lal Nehru 
d) K.C Neogi
Ans. C

13) Who said that the “Planning Commission has compressed the federation and India is working like a unitary system in many aspects.?”
a) Chandrashekhar Azad
b) Jay Ram Naresh
c) K. Santhanam
d) All of them
Ans. C

14) Who was the last Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India?
a) Montek Singh Ahluwalia
b) Nitish Kumar
c) Ram Kumar Verma
d) Manmohan Singh
Ans. A

15) How many Ex-officio members can be in NITI Aayog?
a) 5
b) 7
c) 8
d) 4
Ans. D