Why in News?
NITI Aayog CEO Anurag Jain: The Centre has appointed senior IAS officer Anurag Jain as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog. The appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), filling a leadership vacancy at the apex policy think tank.
Key Facts for Prelims: NITI Aayog and CEO
- Full form: National Institution for Transforming India
- Established: Replaced the Planning Commission as India’s apex public policy think tank
- Nature: A non-statutory, extra-constitutional body (not created by an Act of Parliament or the Constitution)
- Approach: Follows bottom-up planning and cooperative federalism, unlike the top-down model of the Planning Commission
- Chairperson: Prime Minister of India (ex-officio)
- Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories
- Vice-Chairperson: Appointed by the Prime Minister
- CEO: Appointed by the Prime Minister, holds the rank of Secretary to the Government of India
- Special Invitees: Experts and up to four ex-officio members from the Union Council of Ministers
Static Exam Link: Planning Bodies in India for the NITI Aayog CEO Role
- The Planning Commission (1950) was an extra-constitutional, non-statutory body too — NITI Aayog did not change this legal status, only the planning philosophy
- NITI Aayog does not have the power to allocate funds to ministries/states, unlike the erstwhile Planning Commission which controlled Plan expenditure — this function now largely rests with the Finance Commission and the Finance Ministry
- The NITI Aayog CEO is the administrative head handling day-to-day functioning, while the Vice-Chairperson functions as the de facto executive head under the PM’s chairpersonship
- NITI Aayog releases key indices used in governance monitoring, such as the SDG India Index and the Health Index
Quick Revision Table: NITI Aayog
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Form | National Institution for Transforming India |
| Replaced | Planning Commission |
| Legal Status | Non-statutory, extra-constitutional body |
| Chairperson | Prime Minister (ex-officio) |
| Vice-Chairperson | Appointed by the Prime Minister |
| CEO Rank | Secretary to the Government of India |
| Governing Council | CMs of states + LGs of UTs |
| Planning Approach | Bottom-up, cooperative federalism |
Trap / Confusing Points
| Confusion | Correct Fact |
|---|---|
| NITI Aayog is a statutory/constitutional body | It is non-statutory and extra-constitutional, created by a Cabinet resolution |
| Planning Commission still exists alongside NITI Aayog | NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission entirely |
| NITI Aayog allocates funds to states like the Planning Commission did | NITI Aayog has no fund allocation power; it is a think tank/advisory body |
| CEO is the top-most functionary of NITI Aayog | The Prime Minister (Chairperson) is the top functionary; CEO is the administrative head |
| Vice-Chairperson and CEO are the same post | These are two distinct posts — both appointed by the PM, but with different roles |
Practice MCQs
1. NITI Aayog replaced which of the following bodies?
a. Finance Commission
b. Planning Commission
c. National Development Council
d. Union Public Service Commission
Ans: B
NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission as India’s apex public policy think tank.
2. Consider the following statements about NITI Aayog:
1. It is a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament.
2. Its Governing Council includes Chief Ministers of all states.
Which of the above is/are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: B
NITI Aayog is a non-statutory, extra-constitutional body. Its Governing Council does include CMs of all states and LGs of UTs.
3. Who is the ex-officio Chairperson of NITI Aayog?
a. Finance Minister
b. Vice-Chairperson
c. Prime Minister
d. Cabinet Secretary
Ans: C
The Prime Minister of India serves as the ex-officio Chairperson of NITI Aayog.
4. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog holds a rank equivalent to:
a. Cabinet Minister
b. Secretary to the Government of India
c. Chief Secretary of a state
d. Attorney General
Ans: B
The CEO of NITI Aayog is appointed by the Prime Minister and holds the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
5. Which of the following best distinguishes NITI Aayog’s planning approach from that of the Planning Commission?
a. Top-down planning
b. Bottom-up planning and cooperative federalism
c. Five-Year Plans
d. Centralised fund allocation
Ans: B
Unlike the Planning Commission’s top-down model, NITI Aayog follows a bottom-up, cooperative federalism approach and has no fund allocation powers.
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