NITI Ayog to replace Planning Commission

The Planning Commission of India will be renamed as ‘NITI Ayog’, as a part of restructuring plan announced by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Modi announced scrapping of Planning Commission in his first Independence Day speech in 2014. NITI stands for National Institution for Transforming India.

The Planning Commission of India was established in accordance with article 39 of the constitution which is a part of directive principles of state policy. for the first time, the new body will have a Governing Council with Chief Ministers of all States and L-Gs of Union Territories as Members. That will allow the States to raise their concerns. That will end the discrimination and strengthen the relations between the States and Centre.

To be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the revamped institution will serve as a government “think tank” with the mandate to provide strategic and technical advice on issues of “national and international importance” to the Centre and states. The body will have a CEO and a Vice Chairperson, to be appointed by the Prime Minister, in addition to five full-time members and two part-time members, while four union ministers would serve as ex-officio members.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed about the restructuring Planning Commission with the Chief Ministers in a meeting held on December 7.

However, the Congress ruled state Chief Ministers had opposed the government’s move to restructure the planning commission. The Congress party criticised the government for restructuring Planning Commission and renaming it as ‘NITI Ayog’.