GK Question

polity medium mcq

NITI Aayog, replacing the Planning Commission in 2015, promotes 'cooperative federalism' primarily through:

  1. Allocating Plan funds to States based on formula
  2. Including all State Chief Ministers in its Governing Council for policy dialogue and competitive rankings
  3. Centralizing development planning at Union level
  4. Eliminating State-level planning bodies

Answer: Including all State Chief Ministers in its Governing Council for policy dialogue and competitive rankings

NITI Aayog's cooperative federalism model: (a) Governing Council: PM (Chairperson) + all CMs + UT Lt. Governors — platform for Centre-State policy dialogue, (b) Functions promoting federalism: (i) Bottom-up planning: States propose priorities, not top-down imposition, (ii) Best practices sharing: Successful State models disseminated nationally, (iii) Competitive federalism rankings: Health Index, SDG Index, School Education Quality Index motivate improvement through peer comparison, (iv) Policy innovation labs: Joint Centre-State problem-solving, (c) Contrast with Planning Commission: (i) Planning Commission: Top-down plan formulation, resource allocation via formula, (ii) NITI Aayog: Facilitative role, no fund allocation power, influence through persuasion, (d) Challenges: (i) Lack of constitutional/statutory status limits authority, (ii) Effectiveness depends on political will for cooperation, (iii) Capacity gaps in States for data-driven planning, (e) Illustrates federalism evolution: From directive (Planning Commission) to facilitative (NITI Aayog) Centre-State relations; cooperation through dialogue, not coercion.

Topic Federalism - NITI Aayog vs Planning Commission Federal Impact
Exam Relevance Cooperative federalism mechanisms frequently asked in UPSC and SSC exams
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