The seventh meeting of the Governing Council (GC) of NITI Aayog was recently presided over by the Indian Prime Minister. This event has brought NITI Aayog once again into the spotlight and underlines its role in India’s planning and policy-making process.
Understanding NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission on 1st January 2015, has embraced a ‘Bottom – Up’ approach for implementing maximum governance with minimum government, in the spirit of ‘Cooperative Federalism’. It functions through two key Hubs. The first, Team India Hub, works as an interface between the states and the center. The other, the Knowledge and Innovation Hub, enhances NITI Aayog’s think-tank capabilities.
The Key Highlights of the Seventh Meeting
The main agenda of the meeting ranged from crop diversity, self-sufficiency in pulses, oilseeds, other agricultural commodities, to the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) in both school and higher education, and urban governance. During his address, the Prime Minister emphasized the critical role every state played in India’s fight against Covid-19. He encouraged each state to promote its “3Ts”, Trade, Tourism, Technology, through every Indian Mission around the world.
The Structure of NITI Aayog’s Governing Council
The Governing Council, a premier body, is tasked with developing a shared vision of national priorities and strategies involving active participation of States and Union Territories. It serves as a platform for discussing inter-sectoral, inter-departmental, and federal issues. It includes the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all states and union territories with the legislature, Lieutenant Governors of other Union Territories, Ex-Officio Members, Vice Chairman, Full-Time Members, and Special Invitees from NITI Aayog.
NITI Aayog’s Key Initiatives
Some key initiatives launched by NITI Aayog include the SDG India Index, Composite Water Management Index, Atal Innovation Mission, SATH Project, Aspirational District Programme, School Education Quality Index, District Hospital Index, Health Index, Agricultural Marketing And Farmer Friendly Reform Index, India Innovation Index, Women Transforming India Awards, and the Good Governance Index.
Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is one of the flagship initiatives established by NITI Aayog to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship. AIM is seen as an omnibus innovation institution that aligns innovation policies between Central, State, and sectoral innovation schemes. It fosters the establishment and promotion of an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at various levels—higher secondary schools, science, engineering and higher academic institutions, SME/MSME industry, corporate, and NGO levels.
Establishment of NITI Aayog
The Government of India established NITI Aayog as a replacement of the Planning Commission. The organization’s principles differ significantly from those of the erstwhile Planning Commission, primarily in its approach to achieving governance and development goals.