NITI Aayog & Planning — Set 10
Economy Advanced · नीति आयोग और नियोजन · Questions 91–100 of 120
'NITI Forum for North-East' was established by NITI Aayog to:
Correct Answer: B. Accelerate development of North-Eastern states
NITI Forum for North-East was established by NITI Aayog to accelerate development of the eight states of North-Eastern India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. The forum coordinates with central ministries and state governments to address the region's unique developmental challenges. It focuses on connectivity, trade, tourism, and skill development in the region.
Which Finance Commission increased the states' share in central taxes from 32% to 42%?
Correct Answer: B. 14th Finance Commission
The 14th Finance Commission (2015-20), chaired by Y.V. Reddy, increased the states' share in central taxes from 32% to 42% — the largest ever increase. This significantly enhanced fiscal federalism and partly compensated for the abolition of Planning Commission grants. The 15th Finance Commission (2021-26), chaired by N.K. Singh, retained 41% (excluding J&K which became a UT). This shift strengthened cooperative federalism.
NITI Aayog's 'FutureSkills PRIME' programme was launched in collaboration with:
Correct Answer: C. NASSCOM and MeitY
FutureSkills PRIME (Programme for Reskilling/Upskilling of IT Manpower for Employability) was launched by NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with NITI Aayog providing policy support. It aims to reskill IT professionals in emerging technologies like AI, Big Data, Cloud, and IoT. The programme targets 4 lakh IT professionals for upskilling.
The 'minimum needs programme' was first introduced in India during the:
Correct Answer: B. Fifth Plan
The Minimum Needs Programme (MNP) was first introduced during the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-79) as a floor for essential social services. It covered basic infrastructure like elementary education, rural health, rural roads, rural water supply, rural electrification, and housing. The MNP reflected a shift from pure growth objectives to meeting basic human needs. It was later subsumed within larger schemes and the concept evolved into the Bharat Nirman programme.
The 'Niti Aayog Working Group on Disinvestment' recommended which approach?
Correct Answer: B. Strategic disinvestment and privatisation of non-strategic PSUs
NITI Aayog's Working Group on Disinvestment recommended strategic disinvestment and privatisation of non-strategic PSUs. It identified 'strategic' sectors (like atomic energy, defence, railways) where government presence is necessary, while recommending privatisation of others. This framework has guided India's disinvestment policy in recent years. Major disinvestments like Air India's privatisation (to Tata Group in 2022) followed this framework.
The 'Niti Aayog Digital Payments Index' tracks India's progress in:
Correct Answer: B. Extent of digitization of payments across India
The NITI Aayog Digital Payments Index tracks the extent of digitization of payments across India. It was released in 2021 covering the period from March 2019 onwards. The index has five parameters: Payment Enablers, Payment Infrastructure (Demand side), Payment Infrastructure (Supply side), Payment Performance, and Consumer Centricity. India's DPI score has grown significantly reflecting the rapid adoption of digital payments post-demonetisation and UPI.
The 'Second Five Year Plan' allocated the highest share to which sector?
Correct Answer: B. Industry and Minerals
The Second Five Year Plan allocated the highest share (approximately 20.1% of total plan outlay) to Industry and Minerals, reflecting the Mahalanobis model's emphasis on heavy capital goods industries. This was a major shift from the First Plan which gave priority to agriculture. The allocation for Transport and Communications was also high (~28.9%) to support industrialization. Agriculture received a lower 20.6% allocation compared to 34.6% in the First Plan.
NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was launched in which year?
Correct Answer: B. 2016
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was launched in 2016 as a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog. It was established through a Union Budget announcement by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. AIM replaced the earlier innovation initiatives and created a unified platform. It was named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was known for his focus on technology and innovation during his tenure (1999-2004).
The 'National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage' was established under which body?
Correct Answer: B. NITI Aayog
The National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage was established under NITI Aayog to facilitate India's transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and advanced battery storage. It aims to make India a global hub for EV manufacturing. The mission works on promoting shared, connected, and electric mobility. NITI Aayog has been a strong advocate for EV adoption and has published several reports on India's EV transition roadmap.
How many industries were initially in the 'Negative List' (requiring industrial licence) after the 1991 reforms?
Correct Answer: D. 18
After the 1991 industrial policy reforms, the number of industries requiring industrial licence was reduced to just 18 (later further reduced). Before 1991, most industries required licensing. The 1991 policy delicensed the majority of industries, retaining licencing only for industries with environmental, safety, strategic, or social concerns like alcohol, tobacco, explosives, and hazardous chemicals. This delicensing was a key component of liberalization.