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NITI Aayog: (National Institution for Transforming India Aayog)
ü This is a policy think-tank of government.
ü It replaced PC.
ü
This
aims to involve the states in economic
policy-making.
ü
It will be providing
strategic and technical advice to the central and the state governments (bottom
up approach)
ü
Note: PC approach
was top down
ü
The PC had no
representation from the states but NITI Ayog.
ü
It was announced on January
1, 2015.
ü
The first
meeting of NITI Aayog was held on 8 February 2015.
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Functions:
·
A group of people
with authority entrusted by the government to formulate/regulate policies
concerning transforming India.
•
It is a commission
to help government in social and economic issues.
•
Also it's an
Institute of think tank with experts in it.
Composition:
1.
Prime Minister of India as the
Chairperson
2.
Governing Council comprising the CMs of all the
States and Union territories with Legislatures and lieutenant governors of
other Union Territories.
3.
Regional Councils will be formed to
address specific issues and contingencies impacting more than one state or a
region. These will be formed for a specified tenure. The Regional Councils will
be convened by the Prime Minister and will comprise of the Chief Ministers of
States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories in the region. These will be
chaired by the Chairperson of the NITI Aayog or his nominee
4.
Experts, specialists and
practitioners with relevant domain knowledge as special invitees nominated by
the Prime Minister
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Full-time
organizational framework:
1.
PM is the chair person
2.
Vice-Chairperson: Arvind Panagariya
3.
Members: Bibek Debroy (an economist) and
former DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat
4.
Part-time members: Maximum of two
from leading universities research organizations and other relevant
institutions in an ex-officio capacity. Part-time members will be on a
rotational basis
5.
Ex Officio members: Maximum of four
members of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister
6.
Chief Executive Officer: To be
appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to
the Government of India. (Sindhushree Khullar appointed as the Chief Executive
Officer).
7.
Secretariat as deemed necessary.
Differences:
ü NITI Aayog – To be an advisory body, or a think-tank. The powers to
allocate fund vested in the finance ministry whereas Planning Commission, enjoyed the powers to
allocate funds to ministries and state governments
ü NITI Aayog – Includes the Chief Ministers of all States and the
Lieutenant Governors of all Union territories in its Governing Council,
devolving more power to the States of the Union. Planning Commission – States'
role was limited to the National Development Council and annual interaction
during Plan meetings
ü Niti Aayog has a governing Council has state chief ministers and lieutenant
governors. Planning Commission reported to National Development Council that
had state chief ministers and lieutenant governors.
ü Niti Aayog- Consulting states while making policy and deciding on funds
allocation. Final policy would be a result of that. Planning Commission- Policy
was formed by the commission and states were then consulted about allocation of
funds.
ü Niti Aayog has no power to allocate funds. Whereas PC had power to
decide allocation of government funds for various programs at national and
state levels.
ü Niti Aayog is a think-tank and does not have the power to impose
policies. But, PC.
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Objectives:
ü NITI Aayog will seek to provide a critical directional and strategic
input into the development process.
ü The centre-to-state one-way flow of policy, that was the hallmark of the
Planning Commission era, is now sought to be replaced by a genuine and
continuing partnership of states.
ü NITI Aayog will emerge as a "think-tank" that will provide
Governments at the central and state levels with relevant strategic and
technical advice across the spectrum of key elements of policy.
ü The NITI Aayog will also seek to put an end to slow and tardy
implementation of policy, by fostering better Inter-Ministry coordination and
better Centre-State coordination. It will help evolve a shared vision of
national development priorities, and foster cooperative federalism, recognizing
that strong states make a strong nation.
ü The NITI Aayog will develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans to
the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of
government. It will ensure special attention to the sections of society that
may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from economic progress.
ü The NITI Aayog will create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial
support system through a collaborative community of national and international
experts, practitioners and partners. It will offer a platform for resolution of
inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues in order to accelerate the
implementation of the development agenda.
ü In addition, the NITI Aayog will monitor and evaluate the implementation
of programmes, and focus on technology upgradation and capacity building.
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Through the above, the NITI Aayog will
aim to accomplish the following objectives and opportunities:
·
An administration paradigm in which
the Government is an "enabler" rather than a "provider of first
and last resort."
·
Progress from "food
security" to focus on a mix of agricultural production, as well as actual
returns that farmers get from their produce.
·
Ensure that India is an active player
in the debates and deliberations on the global commons.
·
Ensure that the economically vibrant
middle-class remains engaged, and its potential is fully realized.
·
Leverage India's pool of entrepreneurial,
scientific and intellectual human capital.
·
Incorporate the significant
geo-economic and geo-political strength of the Non-Resident Indian Community.
·
Use urbanization as an opportunity to
create a wholesome and secure habitat through the use of modern technology.
·
Use technology to reduce opacity and
potential for misadventures in governance.
The NITI Aayog aims to enable India to better face complex challenges,
through the following:
·
Leveraging of India's demographic
dividend, and realization of the potential of youth, men and women, through
education, skill development, elimination of gender bias, and employment
·
Elimination of poverty, and the
chance for every Indian to live a life of dignity and self-respect
·
Reddressal of inequalities based on
gender bias, caste and economic disparities
·
Integrate villages institutionally
into the development process
·
Policy support to more than 50
million small businesses, which are a major source of employment creation
·
Safeguarding of our environmental and
ecological assets.
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