Niti Ayog

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– National Institution for Transforming India

The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog, was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015. NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs. While designing strategic and long term policies and programmes for the Government of India, NITI Aayog also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre and States.

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Objectives of Niti Aayog

Active involvement of States in development process and to foster cooperative Federalism
Developing plans at village level and paying attention to the section which are not benefiting from the economic progress.
Preparing policy and plans for long term goals, monitoring them, collecting feedback, making improvements time to time from the feedback.
Collaboration of National and International think tanks and different departments to provide advice.
Developing Economic policy which also helps in National Security.
Resolving different inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues for faster execution of plans.
Up gradation of technologies and capacity building.

NITI Aaayog is based on the 7 pillars of effective governance – (1) Pro-People (2) Pro-Activity (3) Participation (4) Empowering (5) Inclusion of all (6) Equality (7) Transparency.

Composition of NITI Aayog

Chairperson: Prime Minister of India
Governing Council: Comprising the Chief Ministers of all States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.
Regional Councils: Will be formed to address specific issues and contingencies impacting more than one state or region.

Strategy and Planning in the NITI Aayog will be anchored from State-level. Regional Councils will be convened by the Prime Minister for identified priority domains, put under the joint Leadership of related sub-groups of States (grouped around commonalities which could be geographic, economic, social or otherwise) and Central Ministries.

Regional Councils

Have specified tenures, with the mandate to evolve a strategy and oversee implementation.
Be jointly headed by one of the groups Chief Ministers (on a rotational basis or otherwise) and a corresponding Central Minister.
Include the sectoral Central Ministers and Secretaries concerned, as well as State Ministers and Secretaries. It will be linked to corresponding domain experts and academic institutions.
Have a dedicated support cell in the NITI Aayog Secretariat.
States would thus be empowered to drive the national agenda. As a consequence, deliberation would be more grass-roots informed, and recommendations would have more ownership, given their joint formulation.
Special Invitees: experts, specialists and practitioners with relevant domain knowledge as special invitees nominated by the Prime Minister.

Full-time Organisational Framework:

Will comprise of, in addition to the Prime Minister as the Chairperson:

Vice-Chairperson: to be appointed by the Prime Minister.
Members: full-time: specialists with international exposure.
Part-time Members: maximum of 2, from leading universities, research organizations and other relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity. Part-time members will be on a rotational basis.
Ex-Officio Members: maximum of 4 members of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
Chief Executive Officer: to be appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
Secretariat: as deemed necessary.

NITI Aayog specialized Wings

Research Wing – that will develop in-house sectoral expertise as a dedicated think tank of top domain experts, specialists and scholars.

Consultancy Wing – that will provide a marketplace of whetted panels of expertise and funding for Central and State Governments to tap into; matching their requirements with solution providers, public and private, national and international. By playing matchmaker instead of providing the entire service itself, NITI Aayog will be able to focus its Resources on priority matters, providing guidance and an overall quality check to the rest.

Team India Wing – comprising representatives from every State and Ministry, will serve as a permanent platform for national collaboration.

Difference between NITI Aayog and Planning Commission

Organization:

Planning Commission – Had deputy chairperson, a member secretary, and full-time members. Secretaries or member secretaries appointed by the usual process.
NITI Aayog – New posts of CEO of secretary rank, and Vice-Chairperson. Will also have five full-time members and two part-time members. Four cabinet ministers will serve as ex-officio members. CEO is appointed directly by Prime Minister.

Planning:

Planning commission goes for top-down planning for government with public sector resources.
NITI ayog formulate national development strategy in a market economy integrated with the globalized world.

Relation with states

The planning commission was a central government institution and no representation of State Government. There was no structural mechanism for interaction with states.
NITI ayog provides a PARTNERSHIP with state governments to promote co-operative federalism. It provides a platform for structured and regular interaction with states.

Finance

The role of Finance Commission was greatly reduced with the Formation of Planning Commission. Allocation of funds were decided by the Planning Commission.
NITI ayog don’t any role in fund allocation. Finance ministry to decide the share of taxes to states, fund allocation to CSS and Union assistance to the state plan.

Constitution and Reporting

Planning Commission- The commission reported to National Development Council that had State Chief Ministers and Lieutenant governors.
Niti Aayog – Governing Council has State Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors.

Niti Aayog is the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, providing strategic and policy advice to the Prime Minister on critical issues facing the nation. It was set up in January 2015 by the then Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the aim of replacing the Planning Commission.

Niti Aayog is a multi-disciplinary body with a mandate to formulate and recommend policies for the Government of India. It is headed by a full-time Vice Chairman, who is appointed by the Prime Minister. The Vice Chairman is assisted by a number of full-time members, who are also appointed by the Prime Minister.

Niti Aayog works in close coordination with the Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. It also has a number of advisory councils and working groups, which provide it with inputs on various policy issues.

Niti Aayog has been working on a number of important policy initiatives, including the preparation of the 14th Five Year Plan, the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), and the development of the National Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE Pipeline (NIP).

Niti Aayog has also been playing a key role in the implementation of the Government of India’s flagship programs, such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

Niti Aayog has been widely praised for its work. It has been credited with bringing about a paradigm shift in the way the Government of India formulates and implements policies. It has also been praised for its focus on evidence-based policy making and its use of technology to improve the delivery of public Services.

However, Niti Aayog has also been criticized for its lack of Transparency and Accountability. It has also been accused of being too close to the Prime Minister’s Office and of not being independent enough.

Despite these criticisms, Niti Aayog has emerged as a key player in the Indian policy landscape. It is likely to continue to play a major role in the formulation and implementation of policies in the years to come.

Here are some of the key achievements of Niti Aayog:

Preparation of the 14th Five Year Plan
Launch of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
Development of the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)
Playing a key role in the implementation of the Government of India’s flagship programs, such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)

Here are some of the key challenges that Niti Aayog faces:

Lack of transparency and accountability
Lack of independence
Closeness to the Prime Minister’s Office

Despite these challenges, Niti Aayog has emerged as a key player in the Indian policy landscape. It is likely to continue to play a major role in the formulation and implementation of policies in the years to come.

What is the role of Niti Ayog?

Niti Ayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the goal of providing necessary inputs to the Government of India for evolving appropriate strategies and policies. It was formed by the Government of India in January 2015, by replacing the Planning Commission of India.

What are the functions of Niti Ayog?

The functions of Niti Ayog are as follows:

To advise the Central Government on matters of policy and strategy.
To undertake studies and research on important issues of national development.
To coordinate the implementation of Central Government schemes and programmes.
To monitor the progress of development in the country.
To provide feedback to the Central Government on the progress of development.

Who are the members of Niti Ayog?

The members of Niti Ayog are as follows:

The Prime Minister of India is the Chairman of Niti Ayog.
The Vice-Chairman of Niti Ayog is appointed by the Prime Minister.
The members of Niti Ayog are appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of a Selection Committee.

What is the budget of Niti Ayog?

The budget of Niti Ayog is not publicly disclosed. However, it is estimated to be around Rs. 1,000 crore per year.

What is the criticism of Niti Ayog?

The criticism of Niti Ayog is as follows:

It is seen as a replacement for the Planning Commission, which was a more powerful body.
It is seen as being dominated by the Prime Minister’s Office, and not as independent as the Planning Commission was.
It is seen as being less transparent than the Planning Commission was.

What is the future of Niti Ayog?

The future of Niti Ayog is uncertain. It is possible that it will be disbanded or merged with another government body. However, it is also possible that it will continue to exist and play a role in the development of India.

Sure, here are some MCQs on the topics of agriculture, Education, and Health without mentioning the topic Niti Ayog:

Which of the following is not a major agricultural product of India?
(A) Rice
(B) Wheat
(C) Tea
(D) Coffee
The Right to Education Act was passed in which year?
(A) 2002
(B) 2005
(C) 2009
(D) 2012
The National Health Mission was launched in which year?
(A) 2005
(B) 2009
(C) 2012
(D) 2014
Which of the following is not a major goal of the National Health Mission?
(A) To reduce the infant mortality rate
(B) To increase the life expectancy rate
(C) To provide universal access to healthcare
(D) To reduce the number of people living below the POVERTY line
Which of the following is not a major challenge facing the Indian education system?
(A) The lack of quality teachers
(B) The lack of infrastructure
(C) The lack of funding
(D) The lack of political will
Which of the following is not a major goal of the Right to Education Act?
(A) To provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 6 and 14
(B) To ensure that all children have access to quality education
(C) To reduce the dropout rate
(D) To increase the Literacy rate
Which of the following is not a major challenge facing the Indian healthcare system?
(A) The lack of access to healthcare
(B) The lack of quality healthcare
(C) The high cost of healthcare
(D) The lack of trained healthcare professionals
Which of the following is not a major goal of the National Health Mission?
(A) To provide universal access to healthcare
(B) To improve the quality of healthcare
(C) To reduce the cost of healthcare
(D) To increase the number of trained healthcare professionals
Which of the following is not a major achievement of the Indian government in the field of agriculture?
(A) The Green Revolution
(B) The White Revolution
(C) The Blue Revolution
(D) The Yellow Revolution
Which of the following is not a major challenge facing the Indian Agriculture sector?
(A) The low productivity of land
(B) The low productivity of labor
(C) The low prices of agricultural produce
(D) The high cost of inputs

I hope these MCQs were helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.