NITI Aayog — Set 5

Correct Answer: B. January 1, 2015

• **January 1, 2015** = NITI Aayog was established on 1 January 2015 through a Union Cabinet resolution, replacing the Planning Commission. • **Independence Day announcement** — The decision was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day 2014 speech. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: January 26, 2015: Republic Day, not establishment date; August 15, 2014: announcement date, not formal establishment; April 1, 2015: start of financial year, unrelated.

Correct Answer: C. Prime Minister

• **Prime Minister** = The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of NITI Aayog, providing overall strategic vision. • **Alignment** — This ensures NITI Aayog's goals remain aligned with the national policy agenda at the highest executive level. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: President: constitutional head, not Chairman of NITI Aayog; Finance Minister: may be an ex-officio member, not Chairman; Vice-President: no formal role in NITI Aayog.

Correct Answer: B. Non-statutory and Advisory

• **Non-statutory and Advisory** = NITI Aayog is a non-statutory advisory body established by an executive resolution — not mentioned in the Constitution. • **No fund allocation** — Because it is non-statutory, it cannot allocate funds to states, unlike the Planning Commission which could. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Constitutional: not mentioned in the Constitution; Independent and Judicial: has no judicial functions; Statutory: not created by an Act of Parliament.

Correct Answer: D. NITI Aayog

• **NITI Aayog** = NITI Aayog follows the bottom-up approach, incorporating local and state-level participation in planning. • **Contrast** — The Planning Commission used a top-down approach; NITI Aayog reversed this to treat states as active development partners. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Zonal Council: regional advisory body, uses neither approach; Planning Commission: used the top-down approach; Finance Commission: fiscal devolution body, not planning.

Correct Answer: A. National Institution for Transforming India

• **National Institution for Transforming India** = NITI stands for National Institution for Transforming India, reflecting a shift in the nature of national planning. • **Think Tank** — The name emphasizes its role in reforming India's administrative and economic landscape through advisory functions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: National Institute of Technology and Innovation: incorrect expansion; New Institute for Transformation of India: incorrect wording; National initiative for Trade and Industry: incorrect expansion.

Correct Answer: A. Prime Minister

• **Prime Minister** = The Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog is appointed by the Prime Minister and holds Cabinet Minister rank. • **Day-to-day oversight** — The VP handles daily administrative and strategic oversight of NITI Aayog's operations. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: President: does not appoint NITI Aayog Vice-Chairperson; Chief Justice of India: judicial authority; Governing Council: does not make this appointment.

Correct Answer: A. Promoting Cooperative Federalism

• **Promoting Cooperative Federalism** = Promoting Cooperative Federalism is a key objective — NITI Aayog provides a platform where centre and states work as equal partners. • **Shared vision** — It fosters a shared vision of national development rather than imposing centralized plans on states. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Allocation of funds to states: that was the Planning Commission's role; Making laws: Parliament's function; Collecting taxes: revenue department's function.

Correct Answer: D. Chief Ministers of all states and LGs of UTs

• **Chief Ministers of all states and LGs of UTs** = The Governing Council comprises the PM, Chief Ministers of all states, and Lieutenant Governors of UTs. • **Periodic meetings** — It meets periodically to discuss major developmental issues and ensure state priorities are reflected in national policies. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: All High Court Judges: judicial officers, not in this council; All Members of Lok Sabha: legislative body, separate from NITI governance; Directors of all IITs: academic heads, not part of governing council.

Correct Answer: D. SDG India Index

• **SDG India Index** = The SDG India Index is NITI Aayog's flagship tool to track state progress on global Sustainable Development Goals. • **Competitive federalism** — It encourages competitive federalism by ranking states on social and environmental targets. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Human Development Index: released by UNDP; Global Innovation Index: released by WIPO; Ease of Doing Business: released by World Bank.

Correct Answer: C. 4

• **4** = NITI Aayog can have a maximum of four ex-officio members nominated by the PM from the Union Council of Ministers. • **Coordination** — These members integrate the work of important central ministries with the Aayog's policy frameworks. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 2: too few, below the prescribed maximum; 6: exceeds the prescribed maximum; 8: more than twice the correct number.