10TH NITI AAYOG GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

10TH NITI AAYOG GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog on May 24, 2025.
• The meeting focused on accelerating India’s development to achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047, coinciding with 100 years of Independence.

• PM Modi emphasized the need to increase the speed of development across the country.
• He called for teamwork between the Centre and states, stating that no goal is impossible if all work together as Team India.
• The vision is to make every state, city, Nagar Palika, and village developed.
• This approach will help India to become Viksit Bharat even before 2047.
• The goal of Viksit Bharat is the aspiration of all 140 crore Indians, requiring inclusive growth at all levels.

1. ViksitRajya for Viksit Bharat @ 2047 — States were urged to prepare bold, inclusive vision documents aligned with national priorities but rooted in local realities.
2. Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Skilling — Leveraging India’s demographic dividend to generate jobs and boost the economy.
3. Manufacturing and Services Ecosystem — Focus on creating enabling environments especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
4. MSME and Informal Employment — Supporting rural non-farm and urban sectors.
5. Opportunities in Green Economy — Emphasis on renewable energy and circular economy practices.

• Jammu & Kashmir (CM Omar Abdullah): Proposed holding PSU and parliamentary meetings in Kashmir to revive tourism and allay public fears after terror attacks. Called for construction of individual bunkers due to cross-border shelling.
• Haryana (CM Nayab Singh Saini): Presented Vision Document-2047 aiming to make Haryana a one trillion-dollar economy with 50 lakh new jobs.
• Uttarakhand (CM Pushkar Singh Dhami): Called for a national plan to tackle urban drainage issues and inclusion of lift irrigation in PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana guidelines.
• Jharkhand (CM Hemant Soren): Requested amendment to the Coal Bearing Areas Act for land return post-mining and release of Rs 1.40 lakh crore dues from mining companies.
• Goa (CM Pramod Sawant): Expressed full commitment to contribute to the Viksit Bharat journey as part of Team India.
• Telangana (CM A. Revanth Reddy): Proposed forming a national task force headed by the Prime Minister and respective CMs to harness the economic potential of India’s six major metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad).
• Arunachal Pradesh (CM Pema Khandu): Reaffirmed the state’s commitment to socio-economic progress and sustainable development aligned with the Viksit Bharat
• Tamil Nadu (CM M K Stalin): Demanded increase of the state’s share in central taxes to 50% and urged for a dedicated urban transformation mission.
• Andhra Pradesh (CM N Chandrababu Naidu): Suggested creation of three sub-groups focusing on GDP growth, population management, and artificial intelligence to fast-track the Viksit Bharat 2047

• NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam stated that PM Modi focused on agriculture, education, and healthcare in his address.
• The meeting showed unanimous support for Operation Sindoor, a campaign aimed at social development.
• PM Modi urged states to remove bottlenecks to attract investors, encourage manufacturing, and generate jobs.
• 31 out of 36 states and Union Territories attended the meeting. States like Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, and Puducherry did not attend.
• Political leaders including Hemant Soren, N Chandrababu Naidu, M K Stalin, and Bhagwant Mann were present and engaged in discussions.

• Jairam Ramesh (Congress) criticized the meeting, questioning the nature of India’s development given ongoing concerns over social harmony and institutional autonomy.
• The BJP responded by accusing him of creating unnecessary controversies.
• The Congress described NITI Aayog as an incompetent body and dismissed the meeting as hypocrisy.

• The concept of planning has been deeply rooted in India’s governance, influenced by the socialist model of the erstwhile USSR.
• For nearly six decades, the Planning Commission was the main body responsible for India’s economic planning, following a control and command approach.
• On January 1, 2015, the Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), emphasizing a ‘Bottom-Up’ approach, aiming for maximum governance with minimum government.
• NITI Aayog embodies the spirit of ‘Cooperative Federalism’ by involving states as equal partners.

• Chairperson: Prime Minister of India
• Vice-Chairperson: Appointed by the Prime Minister
• Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states and Lt. Governors of Union Territories
• Regional Councils: Address specific regional issues; comprise Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors; chaired by the PM or nominee
• Ad-hoc Members: Two ex-officio members from leading research institutions (rotational basis)
• Ex-Officio Members: Up to four Union Ministers nominated by the PM
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Appointed by the PM for a fixed tenure, equivalent to Secretary to Government of India
• Special Invitees: Experts nominated by the PM

• Team India Hub: Acts as the interface between States and the Centre
• Knowledge and Innovation Hub: Builds think-tank capacity for policy and innovation
• The Aayog plans to release three key documents:
  • 3-year Action Agenda
  • 7-year Medium-Term Strategy
  • 15-year Vision Document

• The Planning Commission became obsolete in India’s diversified, market-oriented economy.
• India’s states vary widely in development stages; a ‘one size fits all’ planning approach is no longer suitable.
• NITI Aayog’s flexible and cooperative model aims to make India more competitive globally.

• Foster cooperative federalism through continuous engagement with states.
• Develop credible village-level planning mechanisms and aggregate upwards.
• Incorporate national security interests in economic policies where relevant.
• Address the needs of socially vulnerable groups to ensure inclusive development.
• Facilitate partnerships with think tanks, research institutions, and policy experts nationally and internationally.
• Create a knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem through collaboration.
• Provide a platform to resolve inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues to accelerate development.
• Maintain a state-of-the-art resource center for governance research and best practices dissemination.

• NITI Aayog needs to prioritize objectives effectively and clarify distinctions among policy, planning, and strategy.
• Requires greater autonomy and budgetary flexibility, moving beyond traditional plan/non-plan expenditure to better fund infrastructure.
• Must build trust and credibility surpassing that of the erstwhile Planning Commission.

• SDG India Index
• Composite Water Management Index
• Atal Innovation Mission
• SATH Project
• Aspirational District Programme
• School Education Quality Index
• District Hospital Index
• Health Index
• e-AMRIT Portal: A one-stop platform for information on electric vehicles, developed in collaboration with the UK government, aiming to raise awareness and encourage EV adoption.
• Agriculture Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reform Index
• India Innovation Index
• Women Transforming India Awards
• Good Governance Index
• Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
• Strategy for New India at 75
• Methanol Economy Programme