Prime Minister extends best wishes on reconstitution of NITI Aayog
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.
Key Details
- Legal basis: Executive Resolution of the Government of India (Cabinet Resolution, 1 January 2015) — NOT a constitutional body and NOT a statutory body; has no independent legislative backing.
- Distinction from Planning Commission: The Planning Commission (1950–2014) had powers to allocate resources among states and ministries through the Five Year Plan mechanism; NITI Aayog has no such resource-allocation power — it is a think-tank and advisory body.
- Chairperson: Prime Minister of India (ex-officio).
- Vice-Chairperson: Appointed by the Prime Minister; enjoys rank equivalent to Cabinet Minister; currently Ashok Lahiri (April 2026).
- Full-Time Members: Appointed by the Prime Minister; enjoy rank of Minister of State.
- Ex-Officio Members: Up to 4 senior Union Cabinet Ministers nominated by the Prime Minister.
- Special Invitees: Domain experts, specialists, and practitioners nominated by the PM on a rotational basis.
- Part-Time Members: Up to 2, drawn from leading universities and research institutions on rotation.
- CEO: Appointed by the PM for a fixed tenure in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India; manages day-to-day operations.
- Governing Council: All Chief Ministers of states and Lt. Governors of UTs — the premier forum for cooperative federalism in policy-making.
- Regional Councils: Formed to address specific regional issues; chaired by the PM or his nominee.
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.
Key Details
| Dimension | Planning Commission (1950–2014) | NITI Aayog (2015–present) |
|---|---|---|
| Established by | Cabinet Resolution (1950) | Cabinet Resolution (2015) |
| Fund allocation | Distributed plan funds to states | No resource-allocation power |
| Federal approach | Top-down; centre allocates | Cooperative federalism; states as partners |
| Development model | State-led planning, Five Year Plans | Market economy, private sector-inclusive |
| Governing Council | None | All CMs + LGs (Governing Council) |
| Deputy Chairman | Equivalent authority to plan | Vice-Chairperson (advisory role) |
| Five Year Plans | Drafted and monitored | Replaced by 3/7/15-year vision documents |
- NITI Aayog produces documents such as the Strategy for New India @ 75, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), SDG India Index, and sector-specific policy papers.
- It houses the Atal Innovation Mission and operates Atal Tinkering Labs across schools as part of its innovation mandate.
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.
Key Details
- Constitutional basis for cooperative federalism: Articles 263 (Inter-State Council), the Seventh Schedule (Union/State/Concurrent Lists), and the Finance Commission mechanism (Article 280).
- NITI Aayog's Governing Council meetings serve as a platform for PM–CM dialogue on development priorities, replacing the National Development Council (NDC) that operated under the Planning Commission era.
- The Inter-State Council (Article 263) is the constitutionally mandated body for coordination; NITI Aayog's Governing Council is an executive supplement, not a constitutional substitute.
- Finance Commission (Article 280): Constitutionally independent body that determines the horizontal and vertical distribution of tax revenues between the Centre and states — an area where the old Planning Commission had significant influence through discretionary grants; NITI Aayog has no equivalent power.
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.