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NITI Aayog – Governing Council Meeting

IAS Current Affairs

NITI Aayog – Governing Council Meeting

Source: PIB
GS III: Indian Economy and issues related to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment

Overview

  1. News in Brief
  2. Key Highlights of the meeting

Why in the News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.

News in Brief
  • The 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog was held under the theme “Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat @ 2047”.
  • The meeting saw participation from all 28 States and 5 Union Territories, marking the first time that Chief Ministers of all States attended the Governing Council Meeting.
  • The Prime Minister highlighted cooperative federalism, youth skilling, AI readiness, MSME growth, water conservation, natural farming and export-led development as key drivers for achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.
Key Highlights of the meeting

Viksit Bharat as a Collective National Mission

  • PM stressed that the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 should become the shared aspiration of every state, district, block and village.
  • Called for stronger Centre-State collaboration through cooperative federalism.
  • Suggested a monitoring framework with clear 100-day and five-year targets.

Transforming Demographic Dividend into Development Dividend

  • India has nearly 70 crore people below 25 years of age.
  • States were urged to invest in,
    • Education
    • Skill Development
    • Capacity building
    • Future-ready workforce creation
  • Emphasised converting demographic advantage into economic growth.

Leveraging the benefits of FTAs

  • States were encouraged to,
    • Create opportunities for youth and MSMEs.
    • Equip stakeholders to effectively leverage the benefits of India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
    • Attract investments from partner countries.
    • Focus on integrating local industries into global value chains.

Women-led Development

  • PM called for increasing the number of Lakhpati Didis from 3 crores to 6 crores.
  • Emphasised women’s economic empowerment and safety.

Lakhpati Didi Scheme – a government initiative to empower rural women through training and helping them establish micro-enterprises to earn a sustainable annual household income of over rupees  1 lakh.

  • Having achieved the target of creating 3 crore Lakpati Didis, the government has set a new target to reach 6 crore  Lakpati Didis by March 2029.

One District One Product (ODOP)

  • States were urged to strengthen ODOP initiatives.
  • Focus on,
    • Product specialization
    • Export promotion
    • Local economic development
    • Global branding of district-specific products

Defence Manufacturing Opportunities

  • PM identified defence manufacturing as a sunrise sector.
  • States were encouraged to formulate policies to attract defence industries and investments.

Artificial Intelligence and Future Skills

  • AI was described as an opportunity rather than a threat.
  • States were asked to,
    • Promote digital skills
    • Develop AI-ready human resources
    • Support emerging technology sectors.

Addressing Emerging Social Challenges

  • The Prime Minister highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to address emerging social challenges such as,
    • Drug abuse
    • Cyber fraud
    • Digital crimes
  • States were advised to adopt,
    • Preventive measures
    • Awareness campaigns
    • Effective governance mechanisms

Water Conservation and Natural Farming

  • Considering the potential El Nino impacts, States were urged to,
    • Conserve water
    • Promote natural and organic farming
    • Enhance climate resilience in agriculture.
  • Prime Minister noted growing farmer confidence in sustainable farming practices – the purchase of 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure by farmers during current Kharif season.

Aspirational Districts Approach

  • PM suggested identifying 100 agriculture-focused districts on the lines of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
  • Aim- to accelerate agricultural transformation through targeted interventions.

Ease of Doing Business and Investment Promotion

  • States were encouraged to focus on,

Conclusion

  • The meeting emphasised the role of States as key partners in India’s growth journey.
  • The overall discussions reflected a shared commitment to building a prosperous, resilient, and future-ready India.
UPSC Prelims Practice Question

With reference to NITI Aayog, consider the following statements

    1. It is the apex body of NITI Aayog for fostering cooperative federalism.
    2. The Prime Minister serves as the Chairperson of the Governing Council.
    3. It is a constitutional body established under Article 263 of the Constitution.
    4. It comprises Chief Ministers of States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.

How many  of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

a)Only one

b)Only two

c)Only three

d) All four

Answer: a)Only one

Explanation: Statement 3 is incorrect. Because NITI Aayog is neither a constitutional nor a statutory body. It was established by a Cabinet Resolution in 2015.

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