- Why in news
- On 11 June 2026, PM Narendra Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi. The theme was Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047.
- What it is
- NITI Aayog is the Government of India's policy think tank. It replaced the Planning Commission in 2015 and was set up by an executive resolution, not a statute. Its Governing Council brings the PM, Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors together to discuss national development policy under cooperative federalism.
- Chair and venue
- The PM chaired the 11th meeting at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.
- Theme
- The theme of the meeting was Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047.
- A first
- Chief Ministers of all 28 States took part for the first time.
- Aspirational approach
- The PM suggested identifying 100 districts in agriculture, on the lines of aspirational districts.
- Legal basis
- NITI Aayog was created in 2015 by a Union Cabinet resolution. It has no statutory or constitutional status.
- Composition
- The Governing Council includes the PM as chairperson, Chief Ministers of all States and UTs with legislatures, and Lt Governors of the other UTs.
- Who attends
- Chief Ministers of States and UTs, Lieutenant Governors/Administrators, Union Ministers as ex-officio members and special invitees, and the NITI Vice Chairman, Members and CEO attend.
- Four pillars
- The Inclusive Human Development Framework rests on four pillars: human capital and skills; employment and entrepreneurship; health, nutrition and wellbeing; and equity and dignity.
- Chief Secretaries' recommendations
- The Council will also consider recommendations of the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries, held 26-28 December 2025.
Don’t confuse with NITI Aayog vs Planning Commission: The Planning Commission (1950) allocated funds through Five-Year Plans. NITI Aayog is advisory and does not allocate funds.
Don’t confuse with NITI Governing Council vs National Development Council: The NDC was the Planning Commission-era body of PM and CMs that approved Plans. The Governing Council is NITI's body for policy discussion.
Don’t confuse with Governing Council vs National Development Council: Both include the PM and Chief Ministers. The NDC was linked to the Planning Commission and approved Five-Year Plans; the NITI Governing Council is advisory and discusses policy.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- It gives States a regular platform to shape national policy, supporting cooperative federalism.
- Full participation by CMs strengthens Centre-State consensus on goals like Viksit Bharat@2047.
- Gives States a regular forum to shape national priorities, supporting cooperative federalism.
- Aligning State Visions with the national Viksit Bharat @2047 goal can improve policy coordination.
Problems
- The Council is advisory and has no power to bind the Centre or States, or to allocate funds.
- Political differences can lead some States to skip meetings, weakening the forum.
- NITI Aayog is advisory, so its Council decisions are not binding on States.
- Participation and follow-through vary across States, especially where political differences exist.
Way forward
- Follow up meetings with a monitoring framework and clear targets, as the PM suggested.
- Give States a larger role in setting the agenda and reviewing results.
- Set measurable targets with outcome tracking and regular review of State progress.
- Link NITI recommendations to State planning and fiscal incentives so that discussions lead to action.
Put in your answer
Cooperative federalism: The PM stressed that the Centre and States must work together for Viksit Bharat.
Aspirational districts model: The PM wants the aspirational district approach extended to agriculture, with progress evaluated at district level.
Cooperative federalism forum: The Governing Council brings the Union and States together to discuss development priorities, with this meeting focused on aligning State Visions with the national vision.
Outcome tracking and accountability: The meeting will discuss a structured mechanism to track short-, medium- and long-term outcomes, with Digital Public Infrastructure and data-driven systems as enablers.
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q11How NITI Aayog's principles differ from Planning Commission's principles
- 2016Mains ESSAY · Q1Cooperative federalism: myth or reality
- 2015Mains GS2 · Q2Drawbacks of existing structure; how cooperative federalism answers them
- 2015Prelims Q42Which body NITI Aayog was set up to replace
- 2016Prelims Q56Whether Financial Stability and Development Council is an organ of NITI Aayog
- 2019Prelims Q19Under which body Atal Innovation Mission is set up
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: 11th Governing Council meeting, all 28 CMs attended for the first time. Lasting body on file, but this meeting adds little a question can turn on.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.