NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant is set to step down and will be replaced by Parameswaran Iyer, former Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Today Current Affairs
NITI Aayog:
Background:
The Planning Commission was replaced by a new institution NITI Aayog on January 1, 2015, emphasizing the ‘bottom-up’ approach to envisage the concept of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government, echoing the spirit of ‘cooperative federalism’.
It has two hubs.
Team India Hub – acts as an interface between the states and the Centre.
Knowledge and Innovation Hub- Works like a think-tank of NITI Aayog.
Combination : The Hindu Analysis
Chairman: Prime Minister
Vice President: appointed by the Prime Minister
Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all States and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories.
Regional Council: The Prime Minister or a person nominated by him presides over the meeting of Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors to address specific regional issues.
Ad-hoc Membership: 2 ex-officio members on rotation from leading research institutes.
Ex-officio Membership: Up to four members of the Union Council of Ministers nominated by the Prime Minister.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Secretary to the Government of India who is appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed term.
Special Invitees: Experts from various fields nominated by the Prime Minister.
Purpose : The Hindu Analysis
Promoting cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with states on an ongoing basis, recognizing that strong states make up a strong nation.
Developing mechanisms for making credible plans at the village level and progressively collating these at higher levels of government.
To ensure that the interests of national security are incorporated into economic strategy and policy, in particular in the areas it refers to. The Hindu Analysis
Pay special attention to those sections of society who may be at risk of not benefiting adequately from economic progress.
Provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded think tanks as well as academic and policy research institutions
Establishing a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.
To provide a forum for resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues to expedite the implementation of the development agenda. The Hindu Analysis
To help in dissemination of stakeholders along with maintaining a state-of-the-art resource centre, aggregating research on good governance and best practices in sustainable and equitable development.
Importance of setting up NITI Aayog : The Hindu Analysis
The 65 year old Planning Commission had become a redundant organization. It was relevant in a directed economy structure but no longer.
India is a country of diversities and its states are at different stages of economic development, with their own different strengths and weaknesses. The Hindu Analysis
The notion that one model should be applicable to all for economic planning is wrong. It cannot establish India as a competitor in today’s global economy.
Related concerns and challenges : The Hindu Analysis
NITI Aayog has no authority to give discretionary funding to states, which makes it incapable of making transformative interventions.
It acts only as an advisory body which advises the government on various issues without ensuring the enforceability of its ideas.
NITI Aayog has no role in influencing private or public investment. The Hindu Analysis
The organization has been politicized in recent times.
NITI Aayog has been turned into a glorified recommendatory body, which lacks the necessary powers to bring about a positive change in the working of the government.
Initiatives of NITI Aayog : The Hindu Analysis
SDG India Index
Composite Water Management Index
Atal Innovation Mission
Project with
Aspirational District Program
School Education Quality Index
District Hospital Index
Health Index
Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index
India Innovation Index
Women Transforming India Awards
Good Governance Index
Difference between NITI Aayog and Planning Commission
NITI Aayog : The Hindu Analysis
It acts as an advisory think tank.
It consists of a wide range of expert members.
It works in the spirit of cooperative federalism as the states are equal partners.
Secretaries appointed by the Prime Minister are known as CEOs.
It focuses on the ‘bottom-up’ approach of the scheme.
It does not have the authority to enforce policies.
It does not have the authority to allocate funds, which is vested in the Finance Minister.
Planning Commission : The Hindu Analysis
It functioned as a non-constitutional body.
It had limited expertise.
States participated in the Annual Planning Meetings as spectators.
Secretaries were appointed through normal process.
It followed a ‘top-down’ approach.
Implemented policies on states and allocated funds with approved projects.
It was empowered to allocate funds to ministries and state governments.
In this article we mention all information about NITI Aayog Today Current Affairs.
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