NITI Aayog farewell to one size fits all approach: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said that through the new NITI Aayog, the renamed Planning Commission, the government bids "farewell to a 'one size fits all' approach towards development, while the body also "celebrates India's diversity and plurality".

In a series of tweets, he said the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog would be "A pro-people, pro-active and participative development agenda stressing on empowerment & equality is the guiding principle behind NITI Aayog."

Modi, who had hinted at doing away with the Planning Commission during his Independence Day speech last year, said: "Through the NITI Aayog we wish to ensure that every individual can enjoy the fruits of development & aspire to lead a better life."

Noting NITI Aayog "has been formed after a wide range of consultation with the various stakeholders including the chief ministers", he said it will "provide key inputs on various policy matters".

"A landmark change is the inclusion of all State CMs & LGs of UTs in the NITI Aayog. This will foster a spirit of cooperative federalism.

"Having served as a CM in the past, I am very much aware of the importance of actively consulting the states. NITI Aayog does precisely that," he said.

The NITI Aayog will comprise of the prime minister as chairperson while the governing council will comprise state chief ministers and lt governors of the union territories. A list of 13 objectives has been drawn up.