NITI Aayog Reconstituted: New Vice-Chairman and Full-Time Members Appointed
The Union government reconstituted the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) with a near-complete change of full-time members; former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri was appointed as Vice-Chairperson, replacing Suman K. Bery (who had held the position since May 2022).
Four new Full-Time Members were inducted: Dr. M. Srinivas (Director, AIIMS Delhi), Abhay Karandikar (Secretary, Department of Science and Technology), K.V. Raju (economist, former part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister), and Gobardhan Das (molecular scientist).
The four new members replace V.K. Saraswat, Ramesh Chand, V.K. Paul, and Arvind Virmani; former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba is the only continuing Full-Time Member.
All ex-officio members (senior Union Cabinet ministers) and special invitees remain unchanged per the reconstitution order.
The appointment of a health expert (AIIMS Delhi Director) and science and technology secretary signals a focus on health policy and innovation-driven development in the institution's current mandate.
The Prime Minister, as ex-officio Chairperson, formally heads the reconstituted body; the CEO (B.V.R. Subrahmanyam) continues in position.
NITI Aayog: Structure, Legal Basis, and Functions
NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) is India's apex policy advisory and think-tank body, established on 1 January 2015 by a Cabinet Resolution to replace the Planning Commission.
The reconstitution is a routine executive action reflecting the PM's power to appoint all key members of NITI Aayog under the Cabinet Resolution framework. The new appointments — particularly in health and S&T — signal the thematic priorities the government intends to advance through the institution.
NITI Aayog vs. Planning Commission: Key Differences
Understanding how NITI Aayog differs from its predecessor is a standard UPSC Polity and Governance question.
The appointment of a science secretary and a leading medical professional as full-time members reflects NITI Aayog's 2026 focus areas: health system strengthening and technology/innovation ecosystems — consistent with its advisory (not directive) role in shaping national policy.
Cooperative Federalism: Constitutional and Institutional Dimensions
NITI Aayog's Governing Council (all CMs and LGs) is designed to operationalise cooperative federalism by making states active participants in national policy formulation.
The reconstitution of NITI Aayog highlights the continuing relevance of distinguishing between constitutional bodies (Finance Commission, Inter-State Council) and executive bodies (NITI Aayog) in India's federal architecture.
- NITI Aayog established: 1 January 2015 by Cabinet Resolution.
- Legal status: Executive body — neither constitutional nor statutory.
- Replaced: Planning Commission (set up 1950 by Cabinet Resolution).
- PM's role: Ex-officio Chairperson.
- New Vice-Chairperson (April 2026): Ashok Lahiri (former Chief Economic Adviser).
- Previous Vice-Chairperson: Suman K. Bery (May 2022 – April 2026).
- New Full-Time Members (April 2026): Dr. M. Srinivas (AIIMS Delhi Director), Abhay Karandikar (DST Secretary), K.V. Raju (economist), Gobardhan Das (molecular scientist).
- Continuing Full-Time Member: Rajiv Gauba (former Cabinet Secretary).
- Outgoing Full-Time Members: V.K. Saraswat, Ramesh Chand, V.K. Paul, Arvind Virmani.
- CEO (continuing): B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.
- Governing Council: All Chief Ministers + Lt. Governors of UTs.
- Ex-Officio Members: Up to 4 senior Cabinet Ministers (Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan — as of 2026).
- Full-Time Member rank: Equivalent to Minister of State.
- Vice-Chairperson rank: Equivalent to Cabinet Minister.