How Is NITI Aayog Different From Decades Old Planning Commission

BENGALURU: Narendra Modi’s New Year resolution looks really high considering his first policy announcement of the year is to replace the decades-old Planning Commission with a government think-tank called NITI Aayog. Critics said that this is “old wine in a new bottle.”

NITI stands as an acronym for National Institution for Transforming India. It is said to ensure higher participation of state governments in the system like never before. Planning Commission was highly criticized for ineffective policies that reflected a clear policy paralysis. It was criticized for being too bureaucratic and not consulting states enough for allocating resources. The then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself called for restructuring of the institution.

The move to establish NITI Aayog in place of Planning Commission is viewed as a brilliant step for a more inclusive government. And including states in the initial stage itself can be seen as a step in the right direction. Here are the five major differences we can notice between the former Planning Commission (PC) and the brand new NITI Aayog.

The most obvious difference we cannot help but notice is that the new NITI’s Governing Council has state Chief Ministers and the Lieutenant Governors, unlike the PC which was deemed to report to National Development Council.

Also Read: India Must Establish World Class Banks, Urges PM
India Must Establish World Class Banks, Urges PM