India’s planning architecture transitioned from the Planning Commission to NITI Aayog in 2015. Evaluate NITI Aayog’s effectiveness as a ‘think-and-do’ tank after a decade of operation.
Subtopic: Economy · Planning
How to structure your answer
Introduction: NITI Aayog completed ten years in January 2025; replaced the 1950-vintage Planning Commission as the Centre's apex policy think tank.
Body: 1) Mandate shift — cooperative federalism via Governing Council, SDG India Index, Aspirational Districts. 2) Wins — Multidimensional Poverty Index decline (135 million out of poverty 2013-23), composite indices, e-Amrit. 3) Gaps — no allocative powers, weak monitoring of state programmes, advisory fatigue.
Way forward: Empower NITI Aayog with statutory backing under Article 263; institutionalise outcome-budget linkages with Ministry of Finance; strengthen Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO).
Written within the word limit
133 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Introduction: NITI Aayog, established 1 January 2015 by Cabinet Resolution replacing the Planning Commission (1950), completed a decade in January 2025 as the apex public-policy think-and-do tank.
Body: NITI Aayog anchors cooperative federalism through the Governing Council, Regional Councils and the Aspirational Districts Programme (112 districts, composite-index gains of 33% across 49 indicators, NITI 2024). Flagship outputs: SDG India Index 2023-24 (composite score 71), MPI (24.85 crore people exited poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23), Atal Innovation Mission (10,000 ATLs), and SAMAVESH with State Institutes. The 'do' function reflects in States Reform Action Plans and the Strategy for New India @75. Critics flag absent fund-allocation power (formerly with Planning Commission), weak data-quality oversight, and limited evaluation rigour under DMEO.
Way forward: The Cabinet Secretariat should table a Public Policy Evaluation Act by FY27 strengthening DMEO and link Finance Commission grants to Aspirational Districts Composite Index outcomes.
What an examiner expects to see
- NITI Aayog established 1 Jan 2015 by Cabinet Resolution
- Governing Council of all CMs and LGs
- 10 years review report released Jan 2025
- MPI poverty headcount fell from 29.17% (2013-14) to 11.28% (2022-23)
- Aspirational Districts Programme — 112 districts since 2018
- SDG India Index 4.0 — composite score 71 in 2023-24
- DMEO under NITI Aayog for evaluation
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Aspirational Blocks Programme launched 2023
- India Innovation Index
- Battery Energy Storage Systems plan
- Atal Innovation Mission and AIM 2.0