From “Gram to Kendra”: Why NITI Aayog Isn’t Just Planning Commission 2.0?
Most UPSC aspirants know when NITI Aayog was formed (2015) and that it replaced the Planning Commission… but in the exam, it’s often how they differ and why it matters that trips people up.
Here’s a mental map to remember the key aspects:
🔹 Nature – Executive body, neither constitutional nor statutory. Purely advisory, no fund allocation powers.
🔹 Core Principle – Cooperative & Competitive Federalism (think: States as both partners & rivals in development).
🔹 Approach – Bottom-up: Gram → Kendra (villages to the Centre).
🔹 Structure – PM as Chairperson, CM/LGs in Governing Council, CEO instead of Member-Secretary.
🔹 Two Hubs –
1️⃣ Team India Hub – Connects Centre & States
2️⃣ Knowledge & Innovation Hub – Think-tank brain of the GoI
🔹 Flagship Initiatives – Aspirational Districts, SDG Index, Atal Innovation Mission, State Health Index, etc.
The Planning Commission was all about allocating funds from the top; NITI Aayog is about ideas, policy design & nudging states into competing for better governance.
📌 Infographic source: Saval AI Telegram channel
Posted Aug 11, 2025, 1:22 PM UTC