About NITI Aayog

• NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs. It was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015 replacing the erstwhile Planning Commission .
• While designing strategic and long term policies and programmes for the Government of India, NITI Aayog also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre and States.

Composition of Niti Aayog

• Chairperson: Prime Minister
• Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.
• Regional Council: To address specific regional issues, Comprising Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors
• Ex-Officio membership: Maximum four from the Union council of ministers to be nominated by the Prime minister.
• Part Time Members: 2 members in ex-officio capacity from leading Research institutions on a rotational basis.
• Special Invitees: Experts, Specialists with domain knowledge
• Chief Executive Officer: Appointed by Prime-minister for a fixed tenure, in rank of Secretary to Government of India.

Objectives

• To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation.
• To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government.
• To ensure that the interests of national security are incorporated in economic strategy and policy.
• To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from economic progress.
• To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded Think Tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions.
• To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.
• To offer a platform for resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues in order to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.

Key activities

• NITI Aayog’s activities can be divided into four main heads:
  • Design Policy & Programme Framework
  • Foster Cooperative Federalism
  • Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Think Tank and Knowledge & Innovation Hub

Why in News?

• Recently, the NITI Aayog brought together key stakeholders in a virtual meeting for advancing Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in India.