NITI Aayog's vision document to focus on common man

The document will replace the five-year plan process along with a strategic paper on seven-year horizon

All the chapters of the 15-year vision document, which the NITI Aayog is planning to release in the next few months, will have a common theme of how it would change the life of the common Indian citizen, and how that change can be monitored.

Officials said each theme of the vision document will underline the fact that how each programme or initiative that the Centre would take in the next 15 years impacts the life of the common man and how best it can be monitored so that outcome-based changes and course corrections can be undertaken.

Officials said the document will also lay down how each of the themes will help in creating an enabling environment for the business in the country.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has in its brief told NITI Aayog that all the chapters and sub-divisions in the document should focus on these two parameters.

Officials added the chapters won’t be clearly classified as transport, railways, rural development but would be an amalgamation of broad ideas like multi-modal transport,  rural transformation, agriculture reforms, food challenges, etc.

Apart from focusing on sectors such as infrastructure, commerce, education and health, the document will also cover internal security and defence, which were not part of the earlier five-year plans. The 15-year vision document would replace the five-year plan process along with a strategic paper on a seven-year horizon, which many now feel should become part of the vision document itself.

Officials said the Aayog will also formulate a three-year Action Document (2017-18 to 2019-20) that will be aligned with the predictability of financial resources during the 14th Finance Commission Award period.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his last interaction with the Aayog a few months ago, had shared his ideas for the document.

He said the Aayog should lay down a new architecture of policy-making that anticipates problems in advance and identifies remedial measures.

The Aayog has also written to state chief ministers to share their views on where they would want to see their respective state and India by 2030.
A NEW CHAPTER

• The 15-year document will lay down a road map on various initiatives that will create an enabling business environment for all
   
• The chapters won’t be as specific as earlier five-year plans but would have broad ideas and visions
   
• Internal security and defence have been included in NITI Aayog vision document
   
• The document will begin from the next financial year