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On January
1, 2015 PM
Modi-led GoI
decided to
replace the
65-year-old
Planning
Commission
with a body
called NITI
Aayog
(National
Institution
for
Transforming
India) which
will serve
as a think
tank of the
government.
The move
comes nearly
four months
after PM
Modi’s
Independence
Day speech,
where he had
announced
the plan
panel would
give way to
a new body
in sync with
contemporary
challenges,
shunning the
“one size
fits all”
approach.
“Through
the Niti
Aayog we
wish to
ensure that
every
individual
can enjoy
the fruits
of
development
& aspire to
lead a
better life
(inclusive
growth),”
the PM wrote
on the
microblogging
site.
The primary
job of the
new body --
described as
a think-tank
-- will be
to advise
the
government
on social
and economic
issues.
Unlike the
Nehruvian
plan panel,
the new body
will not
have the
power to
disburse
funds to
central
ministries
and state
governments.
The Prime
Minister
will be the
chairman of
the new body
and it will
have a
governing
council
comprising
all Chief
Ministers
and Lt
Governors.
One of the
objectives
of the new
body will be
to ensure
that the
interests of
national
security are
incorporated
in economic
strategy and
policy.
The body
will provide
the
government
relevant
strategic
and
technical
advice on
key policy
matters. It
includes
matters of
national and
international
importance
on the
economic
front,
dissemination
of best
practices
from within
the country
as well as
from other
nations, the
infusion of
new policy
ideas and
specific
issue-based
support.
GoI had
announced
formation of
NITI Aayog
on 1 January
2015.
Members
The various
members of
NITI Aayog
are:
-
Chairman:
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
-
Vice
Chairman:
Arvind
Panagariya
-
Ex-Officio
Members:
Rajnath
Singh,
Arun
Jaitley,
Suresh
Prabhu
and
Radha
Mohan
Singh
-
Special
Invitees:
Nitin
Gadkari,
Smriti
Zubin
Irani
and
Thawar
Chand
Gehlot
-
Full-time
Members:
Bibek
Debroy &
V. K.
Saraswat
-
Governing
Council:
All
state
Chief
Ministers
and Lt
Governors
-
CEO:
Sindhushree
Khullar
NITI Aayog
vs Planning
Commission
Business
Standard has
taken a look
at five key
counts on
which the
new body
differs from
the
decades-old
Planning
Commission
|
Parameter |
NITI Aayog |
Planning Commission |
|
Financial
clout |
To
be
an
advisory
body,
or a
think-tank.
The
powers
to
allocate
funds
might
be
vested
in
the
finance
ministry |
Enjoyed
the
powers
to
allocate
funds
to
ministries
and
state
governments |
|
Full-time
members |
The
number
of
full-time
members
could
be
fewer
than
Planning
Commission |
The
last
Commission
had
eight
full-time
members |
|
States'
role |
State
governments
are
expected
to
play
a
more
significant
role
than
they
did
in
the
Planning
Commission |
States'
role
was
limited
to
the
National
Development
Council
and
annual
interaction
during
Plan
meetings |
|
Member
secretary |
To
be
known
at
the
CEO
and
to
be
appointed
by
the
prime
minister |
Secretaries
or
member
secretaries
were
appointment
through
the
usual
process |
|
Part-time
members |
To
have
a
number
of
part-time
members,
depending
on
the
need
from
time
to
time |
Full
Planning
Commission
had
no
provision
for
part-time
members |
|
