GS Mains Model Question & Answer: Discuss dissimilarities and similarities between present Niti Aayog and former Planning Commission of India
Q. Discuss dissimilarities and similarities between present Niti Aayog and former Planning Commission of India . (12.5 Marks)
(General Studies Mains Paper III- Economy: Planning)
Model Answer :
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first policy announcement was 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 is an acronym for National Institution for Transforming India.
The Planning Commission (Yojana Aayog) was criticized as being too bureaucratic and not consulting states enough while allocating resources. Including states at an early stage of national policymaking is surely a step in the right direction. Making it a think-tank without powers to allocate funds is also a step forward. It will now be the finance ministry's job to manage funds for various projects.