GK Question

polity medium mcq

NITI Aayog, replacing the Planning Commission in 2015, emphasizes 'cooperative federalism' by:

  1. Imposing uniform development plans on all States
  2. Including all State Chief Ministers in its Governing Council for policy dialogue
  3. Centralizing all development funding decisions
  4. Eliminating State-level planning bodies

Answer: Including all State Chief Ministers in its Governing Council for policy dialogue

NITI Aayog's cooperative federalism model: (a) Governing Council: PM + all CMs + UT Lt. Governors - platform for Centre-State policy dialogue, (b) Functions: (i) Bottom-up planning (States propose priorities), (ii) Best practices sharing, (iii) Competitive federalism rankings (e.g., Health Index, School Education Quality Index), (iv) Policy innovation labs, (c) Contrast with Planning Commission: Top-down plan formulation, resource allocation via formula. Challenges: NITI Aayog lacks constitutional/statutory status, funding authority; influence depends on persuasion, not allocation power. Illustrates evolution of Centre-State coordination mechanisms in Indian federalism.

Topic Federalism - NITI Aayog vs Planning Commission
Exam Relevance Federal planning institution evolution question frequently asked in UPSC and SSC exams
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