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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Government outlines objectives of NITI Aayog
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Government outlines objectives of NITI Aayog

Inclusion and cooperative federalism will be the defining principles of the institution, the centre says

The government released an e-book listing seven guiding principles for the think tank, including antyodaya, which advocates prioritizing service and uplift of the poor and marginalized. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/MintPremium
The government released an e-book listing seven guiding principles for the think tank, including antyodaya, which advocates prioritizing service and uplift of the poor and marginalized. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

New Delhi: Inclusion and cooperative federalism will be the defining principles of the NITI Aayog, the central government said on Monday, outlining the objectives of the newly set up institution that replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January.

“NITI Aayog will be guided by an overall vision of development which is inclusive, equitable and sustainable," said an official e-book that fleshed out the government’s plans.

It listed seven guiding principles for the think tank, including antyodaya, which advocates prioritizing service and uplift of the poor and marginalized; inclusion of the vulnerable and marginalized sections and redressing identity-based inequalities; integrating villages into the development process; harnessing India’s demographic dividend through education and skilling; people’s participation in the developmental process; nurturing an open and accountable style of governance; and sustainability at the core of the planning and developmental process.

The government released the e-book after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate meetings over the last three days with the governing council of NITI Aayog that comprises state heads, experts and economists.

Modi met the governing council on Sunday and decided to set up sub-groups of state chief ministers to review and reduce the number of national welfare schemes and promote skill development, in order to encourage active participation of states in the planning process.

On Friday, Modi had met leading experts and economists to seek their inputs for his government for the upcoming Union budget, financing infrastructure and fiscal consolidation.

The e-book said the Aayog will house a number of specialized wings. A research wing will develop in-house sectoral expertise as a dedicated think tank of domain experts, specialists and scholars, a consultancy wing will provide a market-place of whetted panels of expertise and funding for central and state governments to tap into and a team India wing that will comprise representatives from every state and ministry to serve as a permanent platform for national collaboration.

“NITI Aayog will function in close cooperation, consultation and coordination with the ministries of the central and state governments. While it will make recommendations to the central and state governments, the responsibility for taking and implementing decisions will rest with them," the e-book said.

It also said cooperative and competitive federalism, decentralized planning, evolving a shared vision of national development priorities and designing medium- and long-term strategic frameworks of the big picture vision of India’s future across schemes, sectors, regions and time will be among key objectives of the Aayog.

The think tank, it said, is meant to reflect changes required in India’s governance structures and provide a more active role for the state governments in achieving national objectives.

The government scrapped the Planning Commission, calling it an institution that has outlived its relevance, and replaced it what it proposes to be a more contemporary body called NITI Aayog, or National Institution for Transforming India.

In other chapters, the e-book lays down the structure of the institution and the rationale for evolution of institutions.

“It will provide critical, directional and strategic input to the development process, focusing on deliverables and outcomes. This, along with being as incubator and disseminator of fresh thought and ideas for development, will be the core mission of NITI Aayog," the book concludes.

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Published: 10 Feb 2015, 12:07 AM IST
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