NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog is an extra-constitutional policy think tank established to foster cooperative federalism and facilitate bottom-up economic planning in India.

Under Current Affairs

• It marks a structural shift in Indian governance from centralized command planning to advisory-led cooperative and competitive federalism.
• The institution drives policy innovation and evidence-based governance by ranking states through performance-based outcome indices.
• It functions as an apex technical resource center providing strategic policy inputs across economic, social, and technological domains.

UPSC typically examines NITI Aayog by contrasting its institutional architecture and lack of financial allocation powers with the former Planning Commission. Questions frequently assess its effectiveness in strengthening center-state relations, driving Sustainable Development Goals, and functioning as a transformative governance platform.

• Union and States GS2
• Indian Economy GS3