Niti Aayog - UPSC PDF Download

Establishment

NITI Aayog or the National Institution for Transforming India is a policy think tank of the Indian government which provides inputs regarding the different programmes and policies of the government. On January 1, 2015, the NITI Aayog  was established as the successor to the Planning Commission.

• Nature of NITI Aayog:

  • Not constitutional or statutory; created by executive resolution.
  • Non-constitutional and non-statutory body.

• Role and Function:

  • Premier policy 'Think Tank' for the Government of India.
  • Provides directional and policy inputs.
  • Offers technical advice to both Centre and States.

• Policy Approach:

  • Moves away from one-way policy flow of Planning Commission era.
  • Embraces a genuine and continuing partnership with states.
  • Shifts from command and control to collaborative approach.

• Federalism and Policy Thinking:

  • NITI Aayog shaped by a 'bottom-up' approach.
  • Values diverse points of view in a collaborative setting.
  • Spirit of federalism guides policy thinking.

The 7 Pillars of NITI Aayog

• Pro-people orientation, satisfying both societal and individual aspirations
• Pro-activity in meeting citizens' needs
• Citizen participation
• Empowerment, especially for women
• Inclusion of all individuals regardless of caste, religion, or gender
• Provision of equal opportunities, particularly for the youth
• Transparency, making the government accountable and accessible.

Objectives of NITI Aayog

1. Shared Vision:

   • Develop a collective vision for national development priorities, sectors, and strategies with active State involvement.

2. Cooperative Federalism:

   • Foster cooperative federalism through ongoing structured support initiatives and mechanisms, recognizing the role of strong States in building a robust nation.

3. Local-Level Planning:

   • Create mechanisms for formulating credible plans at the village level, progressively aggregating them at higher government levels.

4. National Security Integration:

   • Ensure that, in specific areas, national security interests are integrated into economic strategy and policy.

5. Inclusive Development:

   • Pay special attention to sections of society at risk of not benefiting adequately from economic progress.

6. Strategic Frameworks:

   • Design strategic, long-term policy and program frameworks, monitoring progress, and making innovative improvements based on feedback.

7. Partnerships and Advice:

   • Provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders, national and international think tanks, and educational/policy research institutions.

8. Knowledge and Innovation:

   • Create a collaborative knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurial support system involving national and international experts and partners.

9. Issue Resolution Platform:

   • Offer a platform for resolving inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.

10. Resource Centre:

    • Maintain a State-of-the-Art Resource Centre, serving as a repository for research on good governance and best practices, disseminating them to stakeholders.

11. Monitoring and Evaluation:

    • Actively monitor and evaluate program implementation, identifying needed resources to enhance the probability of success and scope of delivery.

12. Technology and Capacity Building:

    • Focus on technology upgradation and capacity building for the effective implementation of programs and initiatives.

13. Additional Activities:

    • Undertake any necessary activities to further the execution of the national development agenda and the mentioned objectives.

Composition of NITI Aayog

(a) Chairperson:

• Headed by the Prime Minister of India.

(b) Governing Council:

• Includes Chief Ministers of all States, Chief Ministers of Union Territories with Legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir), and Lt. Governors of other Union Territories.

(c) Regional Councils:

• Formed to address specific issues impacting more than one state or region.
• Convened by the Prime Minister, comprising Chief Ministers of States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories in the region.
• Chaired by the NITI Aayog Chairperson or their nominee.

(d) Special Invitees:

• Experts, specialists, and practitioners with relevant domain knowledge, nominated by the Prime Minister.

(e) Full-time Organisational Framework:

• Prime Minister serves as the Chairperson.
• Vice-Chairperson, appointed by the Prime Minister, holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
• Full-time Members enjoy the rank of a Minister of State.
• Part-time Members (maximum 2) from leading universities, on rotation.
• Ex-Officio Members (maximum 4) from the Union Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Chief Executive Officer, appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, holds the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
• Secretariat is established as deemed necessary.

Functions

1. Core Hubs:
   • Learn India and Knowledge and Innovation are the central hubs.
   • Form the foundation of NITI Aayog's operations.
2. Team India Hub:
   • Fosters cooperative federalism.
   • Designs policy and program frameworks.
   • Coordinates and supports engagement with States.
3. Knowledge and Innovation Hub:
   • Maintains a state-of-the-art resource centre.
   • Holds a repository of research on good governance and best practices.
   • Provides advice and encourages partnerships with key stakeholders.
4. Main Functions:
   • Policy and programme framework development.
   • Cooperative and competitive federalism promotion.
   • Monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation.
   • Think-tank role, focusing on knowledge and innovation.
5. Functional Divisions: It Includes Administration and Support Units, Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Aspirational Districts Programme Cell, Communication and Social Media Cell, Data Management and Analysis, and Frontier Technologies, Economics and Finance Cell, Education, Governance and Research, Governing Council Secretariat and Coordination, Infrastructure-Connectivity, Infrastructure-Energy, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Natural Resources and Environment, and Island Development, and Project Appraisal and Management Division.