NITI Aayog: Formation and Composition

NITI Aayog -- the National Institution for Transforming India -- was established on 1 January 2015 by a resolution of the Union Cabinet, replacing the Planning Commission as the Government of India's premier policy think tank. Like its predecessor, NITI Aayog is not a constitutional or statutory body; it too derives its existence from an executive (Cabinet) resolution, but its structure and mandate were deliberately redesigned to reflect a more cooperative, federal and flexible approach to national development planning.

The composition of NITI Aayog is as follows:

• Chairperson -- the Prime Minister of India, ex-officio.
• Vice-Chairperson -- appointed by the Prime Minister, typically an eminent economist or policy expert, who heads the day-to-day working of the institution.
• Governing Council -- comprising the Chief Ministers of all states and the Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, giving every state and UT a direct seat at the table in shaping national priorities.
• Regional Councils -- set up to address specific regional issues involving more than one state, comprising the Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors of the states/UTs in that region, convened by the Prime Minister or a nominee.
• Full-time Members -- experts of eminent standing in relevant fields of policy, appointed for a fixed term.
• Part-time Members -- up to two members from leading research institutions and universities, on a rotational basis.
• Ex-officio Members -- a maximum of four members of the Union Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) -- appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, responsible for administrative leadership.
• Special Invitees -- experts with domain knowledge, nominated by the Prime Minister as required. …