Q.Explain the composition and objectives of NITI Aayog. How does it differ from the Planning Commission?

NITI Aayog was built with a genuinely federal structure that the Planning Commission never had, and given a think-tank role in place of fund allocation.

Composition of NITI Aayog (established 1 January 2015 by a Cabinet resolution): the Prime Minister as Chairperson, ex officio; a Governing Council of the Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories with a legislature, and the Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories without one; a Vice-Chairperson appointed by the Prime Minister; full-time Members (rank of Minister of State); a maximum of two part-time Members from leading universities and research organisations, on rotation; a maximum of four ex-officio Members from the Union Council of Ministers; a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, appointed for a fixed tenure; and special invitees as needed.

Objectives of NITI Aayog include: fostering cooperative federalism through structured engagement with states; developing plans from the village level upward; incorporating national security interests into economic strategy; giving special attention to at-risk sections of society; providing a platform to resolve inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues; maintaining a resource centre on good governance and best practices; enabling national and international partnerships; monitoring and evaluating programme implementation; and functioning as the government's policy think tank. …