Planning Commission: Criticism/Anti-Arguments

1. Achieved >9% GDP growth-rate during 2005-07, thanks to American boom prior to sub-prime crisis.
But almost all nations of world experienced high growth. So 9% GDP did not come from Monteks
magic wand.
2. Post sub-prime crisis, failed to evoke the animal spirit in Indian economy. GDP-fell, inflation rose
during 2008-13 nonstop.
3. Reduced poverty by doctoring the BPL-line. Tendulkar line says 27 crore BPL, if we use Ranga line
then 37 crore BPL. Planning commission brags reducing poverty line on Tendulkars parameters.
4. Toothless body, cant hold State/union/ministries/departments accountable for failing to achieve
targets.
5. Hopes that CAG and Public accounts Committee will take care accountability part. But PAC too is
pretty much toothless.
6. Failed to implement land reforms. Faulty policies for MSME, industrialization, Factory-labour law
problems.

7. Office manned by Generalist IAS/IES with short tenure; panel members filled with academicians and
jholachhap NGOs. Need subject specialists with international exposure like Rajanbhai.
8. Designed CSS with One size fits all approach and a few extra crores to NE/J&K/Hill-states and
LWE. But for long, it did not use pilot projects / sample testing / interaction with states.
9. Hence, IAY, ICDS etc. programs failed to show tangible result despite pumping crores.
10. They tried to bypass state Governments via NGO-funding, DRDA. Hence States unenthusiastic about
implementing Central-schemes named after you know who.
11. Only in 2013- reforms done like reducing number of Centrally sponsored schemes (CSS), 10%
flexifund to states, direct transfer of money to state consolidated fun etc. But its too little too late.
12. Shortcomings in planning commission => new bodies sprung up like PMs economic advisory
council, PMs project monitoring group and so on=> more brains=> more lack of coordination.
13. Hence Modi felt that PC is beyond fixing- just like Gotham city and Delhi city.
14. For so many years, Government worked as the provider of first and last resort. But, today Indian
industry and service sector has reached on global scale, a neo-middle class has emerged.
15. Times have changed, from being a underdeveloped country in 1950s India has become a major
economic force.
16. Hence our needs have changed- from mere food security to profitable agriculture. In this playground,
Government needs to become an enabler rather than a player.
And thus Niti Aayog was born.

Introduction: TRANSFORMING INDIA

India has undergone a paradigm shift over the past six decades - politically, economically, socially,
technologically as well as demographically. The role of Government in national development has
seen a parallel evolution. Keeping with these changing times, the Government of India has decided
to set up NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), in place of the erstwhile Planning
Commission, as a means to better serve the needs and aspirations of the people of India.
The new institution will be a catalyst to the developmental process; nurturing an overall enabling
environment, through a holistic approach to development going beyond the limited sphere of the Public
Sector and Government of India.
This will be built on the foundations of:
An empowered role of States as equal partners in national development; operationalizing the
principle of Cooperative Federalism.

A knowledge hub of internal as well as external resources; serving as a repository of good

governance best practices, and a Think Tank offering domain knowledge as well as strategic
expertise to all levels of government.

A collaborative platform facilitating Implementation; by monitoring progress, plugging gaps

and bringing together the various Ministries at the Centre and in States, in the joint pursuit of
developmental goals.

Rationale: INSTITUTIONS MUST CHANGE

This changing reality and growing mismatch has been recognized for years now; with experts,
including many from within the erstwhile Planning Commission, recommending appropriate
changes:

 The 8th Five Year Plan document - the very first after the liberalisation of 1991 - itself
categorically stated that, as the role of Government was reviewed and restructured, the role
and functions of the Planning Commission too needed to be rethought. The Planning
Commission needed to be reformed to keep up with changing trends; letting go of old practices
and beliefs whose relevance had been lost, and adopting new ones based on the past
experiences of India as well as other nations.
The Standing Committee on Finance of the 15th Lok Sabha - observed in its 35th Report on
Demand for Grants (2011-12) that the Planning Commission "has to come to grips with the
emerging social realities to re-invent itself to make itself more relevant and effective for
aligning the planning process with economic reforms and its consequences, particularly for the
poor".
Former Prime Minister and noted economist, Dr. Manmohan Singh - in his farewell address
to the Commission in April 2014 - also urged reflection on "what the role of the Planning
Commission needs to be in this new world. Are we still using tools and approaches which were
designed for a different era? What additional roles should the Planning Commission play and
what capacities does it need to build to ensure that it continues to be relevant to the growth
process?"
Mahatma Gandhi had said: "Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to
maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position". Keeping true to
this principle our institutions of governance and policy must evolve with the changing dynamics of the new
India, while remaining true to the founding principles of the Constitution of India, and rooted in our
Bharatiyata or wisdom of our civilizational history and ethos.
NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) is to be the institution to give life to these
aspirations. It is being formed based on extensive consultation across the spectrum of stakeholders,
including inter alia state governments, relevant institutions, domain experts and the people at large.

New Role: FUNCTIONS OF NITI

As Indian nationhood has matured and deepened, we have embraced a greater measure of
pluralism and decentralization. This necessitates a paradigm shift in how the Central government
approaches governments at the State as well as local levels. They must be made equal partners in
national development. Their developmental needs and aspirations understood as well as
supported. And their varied local realities incorporated into national policies and programs, with
the required flexibility. Actualizing this principle of Team India, NITI Aayog will:

1. Cooperative and Competitive Federalism: Be the primary platform for operationalizing

Cooperative Federalism; enabling States to have active participation in the formulation of
national policy, as well as achieving time-bound implementation of quantitative and
qualitative targets through the combined authority of the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers.
This will be by means of systematic and structured interactions between the Union and State
Governments, to better understand developmental issues, as well as forge a consensus on
strategies and implementation mechanisms. The above would mark the replacement of the
one-way flow of policy from centre-to-state, with a genuine and continuing Centre-State
partnership.
This Cooperation would be further enhanced by the vibrancy of Competitive Federalism; with
the Centre competing with the States and vice versa, and the States competing with each
other, in the joint pursuit of national development.
2. Shared National Agenda: Evolve a shared vision of national development priorities and
strategies, with the active involvement of States. This will provide the framework national
agenda for the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to implement.
3. States Best Friend at the Centre: Support States in addressing their own challenges, as well
as building on strengths and comparative advantages. This will be through various means,
such as coordinating with Ministries, championing their ideas at the centre, providing
consultancy support and building capacity.
4. Decentralized Planning: Restructure the planning process into a bottom-up model,
empowering States, and guiding them to further empower local governments; in developing
mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level, which are progressively aggregated
up the higher levels of government.
The maturing of Indias governmental institutions has enabled increasing the specialization of their
functions. There is thus a need to separate as well as energize the distinct strategy element
of governance from the usual process and implementation element. As a dedicated Think Tank
of the Government, NITI Aayog will carry out this directional role, strategically charting the future
of the nation. It will provide specialised inputs - strategic, functional and technical - to the Prime
Minister and the Government (Centre as well as State), on matters critical to the fulfilment of the
national development agenda.
5. Vision & Scenario Planning: Design medium and long-term strategic frameworks of the big
picture vision of Indias future - across schemes, sectors, regions and time; factoring in all
possible alternative assumptions and counterfactuals. These would be the drivers of the
national reforms agenda, especially focussed on identifying critical gaps and harnessing
untapped potentialities. The same would need to be intrinsically dynamic with their progress
and efficacy constantly monitored for necessary mid-course recalibration; and the overall
environment (domestic and global) continuously scanned for incorporating evolving trends and

addressing emerging challenges.

The above would mean a fundamental transition from merely planning for where the Nations
money goes, to planning where we want the Nation to go. And given its unique position as the
aggregator and integrator of all developmental initiatives of the Government of India and
States, the NITI Aayog would be ideally suited for the same.
6. Domain Strategies: Build a repository of specialized domain expertise, both sectoral and
cross-sectoral; to assist Ministries of the Central and State governments in their respective
development planning as well problem solving needs. This will especially enable the imbibing
of good governance best practices, both national as well as international; especially with
regards to structural reform.
7. Sounding Board: Be an in-house sounding board whetting and refining government positions,
through objective criticisms and comprehensive counter-views.
8. Network of Expertise: Main-stream external ideas and expertise into government policies
and programmes through a collaborative community of national and international experts,
practitioners and other partners. This would entail being Governments link to the outside
world, roping in academia (universities, think tanks and research institutions), private sector
expertise, and the people at large, for close involvement in the policy making process. As is said
in the Rigveda- , let us welcome noble thoughts flowing in from all directions.
9. Knowledge and Innovation hub: Be an accumulator as well as disseminator of research and
best practices on good governance, through a state-of-the-art Resource Centre which
identifies, analyses, shares and facilitates replication of the same.
An increasingly mature Indian population has steadily increased the focus on, and demand for,
actual delivery and results. To keep up with such enhanced aspirations, NITI Aayogs mandate will
have to go beyond mere planning and strategizing, to facilitating Implementation of the
development agenda as well. This would involve making implementation central to the planning
process, through an emphasis on tangible outcomes, realistic targets, strict time lines and robust
monitoring and evaluation - a transition from the isolated conceptualisation of merely planning,
to planning for Implementation. Niti Aayog will also act as a catalyst to the government machinery
at large; filling gaps, enhancing capabilities and de-clogging bottlenecks, as and where required:

10. Harmonization: Facilitate harmonization of actions across different layers of government,

especially when involving cross-cutting and overlapping issues across multiple sectors; through
communication, coordination, collaboration and convergence amongst all stakeholders. The
emphasis will be on bringing all together on an integrated and holistic approach to
development.
11. Conflict Resolution: Provide a platform for mutual resolution of inter-sectoral,
inter-departmental, inter-state as well as centre-state issues; facilitating consensus
acceptable and beneficial to all, to bring about clarity and speed in execution.
12. Coordinating interface with the World: Be the nodal point for strategically harnessing global
expertise and resources coming in from across nations, multi-lateral institutions and other
international organisations, in Indias developmental process.
13. Internal Consultancy: Offer an internal consultancy function to central and state governments
on policy and program design; providing frameworks adhering to basic design principles such
as decentralization, flexibility and a focus on results. This would include specialised skills such
as structuring and executing Public Private Partnerships.

14. Capacity building: Enable capacity building and technology up-gradation across government,
benchmarking with latest global trends and providing managerial and technical knowhow.
15. Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitor the implementation of policies and programmes, and
evaluate their impact; through rigorous tracking of performance metrics and comprehensive
program evaluations. This will not only help identify weaknesses and bottlenecks for
necessary course correction, but also enable data-driven policy making; encouraging greater
efficiency as well as effectiveness.

Purpose: GUIDING PRINCIPLES

In carrying out the above functions, NITI Aayog will be guided by an overall vision of development
which is inclusive, equitable and sustainable. A strategy of empowerment built on human dignity
and national self-respect, which lives up to Swami Vivekanandas idea of our duty to encourage
everyone in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea. A model of development which is
all round, all pervasive, all inclusive and holistic:
Antyodaya: Prioritize service and uplift of the poor, marginalized and downtrodden, as
enunciated in Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays idea of Antyodaya. Development is incomplete
and meaningless, if it does not reach the farthest individual. In the centuries old words of
Tiruvalluvar, the sage-poet, nothing is more dreadfully painful than poverty.
Inclusion: Empower vulnerable and marginalized sections, redressing identity-based
inequalities of all kinds gender, region, religion, caste or class. As Sankar Dev wrote decades
ago: "to see every being as equivalent to ones own soul is the supreme means (of attaining
deliverance)". Weaker sections must be enabled to be masters of their own fate, having equal
influence over the choices the nation makes.
Village: Integrate our villages into the development process, to draw on the vitality and energy
of the bedrock of our ethos, culture and sustenance.
Demographic dividend: Harness our greatest asset, the people of India; by focusing on their
development, through education and skilling, and their empowerment, through productive
livelihood opportunities.
Peoples Participation: Transform the developmental process into a people-driven one,
making an awakened and participative citizenry the driver of good governance. This includes
our extended Indian family of the Non-Resident Indian community spread across the world,
whose significant geo-economic and geo-political strength must be harnessed.
Governance: Nurture an open, transparent, accountable, pro-active and purposeful style of
governance, transitioning focus from Outlay to Output to Outcome.
Sustainability: Maintain sustainability at the core of our planning and developmental process,
building on our ancient tradition of respect for the environment.

NITI Aayog will also house a number of specialised Wings, including:

Research Wing that will develop in-house sectoral expertise as a dedicated think tank of top
notch domain experts, specialists and scholars.
Consultancy Wing that will provide a market-place of whetted panels of expertise and funding,
for Central and State Governments to tap into; matching their requirements with solution
providers, public and private, national and international. By playing match-maker instead of
providing the entire service itself, NITI Aayog will be able to focus its resources on priority
matters, providing guidance and an overall quality check to the rest.
Team India Wing comprising representatives from every State and Ministry, will serve as a
permanent platform for national collaboration. Each representative will:
Ensure every State/Ministry has a continuous voice and stake in the NITI Aayog.

 Establish a direct communication channel between the State / Ministry and NITI Aayog for
all development related matters, as the dedicated liaison interface.
A national Hub-Spoke institutional model will be developed, with each State and Ministry
encouraged to build dedicated mirror institutions, serving as the interface of interaction. These
institutions, in turn, will nurture their own networks of expertise at State and Ministry level.
NITI Aayog will function in close cooperation, consultation and coordination with the Ministries
of the Central Government, 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.

Structure of NITI Aayog

The NITI Aayog will comprise the following:

a. Prime Minister of India as the Chairperson
b. Governing Council comprising the Chief Ministers of all the States and Lt. Governors of
Union Territories
c. Regional Councils will be formed to address specific issues and contingencies impacting
more than one state or a region. These will be formed for a specified tenure. The
Regional Councils will be convened by the Prime Minister and will comprise of the Chief
Ministers of States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories in the region. These will be
chaired by the Chairperson of the NITI Aayog or his nominee.
d. Experts, specialists and practitioners with relevant domain knowledge as special invitees
nominated by the Prime Minister
e. The full-time organizational framework will comprise of, in addition to the Prime
Minister as the Chairperson:
i. Vice-Chairperson: To be appointed by the Prime Minister
ii. Members: Full-time
iii.
Part-time members: Maximum of 2 from leading universities
research organizations and other relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity.
Part time members will be on a rotational basis.
iv.
Ex Officio members: Maximum of 4 members of the Union
Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
v.
Chief Executive Officer : To be appointed by the Prime
Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
vi.
Secretariat as deemed necessary.

Niti Aayog: Criticism/Anti-Arguments

1. Bibek Debroy (Fulltime member) himself criticized the vaguely worded press-release on Niti-Aayog
formation. Modi should have specifically pointed out its functions and jurisdiction.
2. Modis arbitrary decision to dismantle the Planning Commission, without taking NDC or states
into confidence- this undermines cooperative federalism. (Says Kerala CM).
3. From union territory only Lieutenant Governors invited. CM of Delhi and Puducherry cant
participate in Governing council.
4. Like PC, NITI Aayog too is a non-Constitutional, non-statutory body formed by a cabinet resolution.
It is not accountable to parliament, and if line-ministries fail to achieve targets, NITI Aayog cannot
punish them.
5. Niti Aayog should have been created through a legal/Constitutional amendment. There should be a
perspective plan spanning for 15 to 20 years. Otherwise, what if another party comes into power and
dismantles this? Recall Morarji vs Indira.
6. Itll take minimum 6-8 months for Niti Aayog to set things in motion. In between that time,
Development will be halted due to paucity of funds and ideas.

7. Planning commission and NDC decided special category states and gave them additional funding
to help the poor and backward regions. With advent of Niti Aayog, will those states lose their status
and extra-funding? Uncertainty prevails.
8. Niti Aayog will conflict with Cabinet Secretariat (for inter-ministerial coordination) and
constitutional body Inter State Council (for coordination with states).
9. FinMin officials always try to squeeze budget to keep the fiscal deficit under FRBM targets. Niti
Aayog and its free market economists will further reduce welfare schemes to help them.
10. At present weve 60+ centrally sponsored schemes. Modi aims to combine them into just 10
schemes. Thus, poor and marginalized communities will suffer.
11. Planning commission used to monitor of human development in the States, Sub-plans for women, SC
and ST. Niti Aayog doesnt say how theyll do it.
12. Niti Aayogs mandate repeatedly says theyll focus on manufacturing sector. Rajanbhai says just
because China succeeded on manufacturing focus, doesnt automatically guarantee that same
Cinderella story will repeat here.
13. Modi distributed the planning-Expenditure function to FinMin and subject matters to respective
ministries. This will result in loss of perspective and long-term view. Now State governments will
have to lobby at both type of ministries to get funds released.
14. Planning Commissions Nehruvian Economists advocated decentralized planning. Modis free
market economists and technocrats will pursue centralized planning and e-monitoring. (It is both pro
and anti-argument depending on how brainwashed a person is after reading theHindu.)
15. 1961: Indian Economic Service (IES) was born on Nehrus initiative. Modi doesnt invite them in
meetings, free market economists look down upon them with utter disdain. How theyll be integrated
in the new system? No clear answers given in the press-release.
16. There is no need for any Planning commission or Niti Aayog. Good work can be done even without
them- through line ministries and inter-state councils

Conclusion: VEHICLE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

Chanakya had mapped out centuries ago how good governance was at the root of a nations wealth,
values, comfort and happinessNITI Aayog will seek to facilitate and empower this critical requirement of good governance, which
is people-centric, participative, collaborative, transparent and policy-driven. 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.