Question

Write a note on Niti Aayog.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) is the policy think tank of the Government of India, created to guide the country's economic and social development strategy.

Step 2: Why it was created.
It was set up on 1 January 2015, replacing the older Planning Commission, which had followed a top-down, five-year-plan model since 1950. This older model was seen as too rigid for a fast-growing, diverse economy that needed more flexible, state-specific planning.

Step 3: Its structure and role.
The Prime Minister of India serves as its Chairperson, and it includes Chief Ministers of states and union territories as members, reflecting its goal of "cooperative federalism," where states play an active role in shaping national policy rather than just receiving instructions from the centre.

Step 4: What it does.
NITI Aayog gives policy advice to both the central and state governments, monitors the progress of government schemes, promotes competition between states through performance rankings, and does not have the power to allocate funds directly to states the way the old Planning Commission did.

Final Answer:
NITI Aayog is India's policy think tank, set up in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, focused on advisory planning and cooperative federalism rather than direct fund allocation.