2017-6-3 Highlights of initiatives under NITI Aayog

Press Information Bureau

Government of India
NITI Aayog
02-June-2017 13:07 IST
Highlights of initiatives under NITI Aayog

NITIAyog,TheNationalInstitutionforTransformingIndia,wasformedviaaresolutionoftheUnionCabinetonJanuary
1,2015.NITIAyoghasemergedasthepremierpolicyThinkTankoftheGovernmentofIndiafosteringthespiritof
cooperativefederalismunderthedynamicleadershipofPrimeMinisterShriNarendraModi.Eversinceitsinceptionthe
institutionhastakenaseriesofinitiativesaimedatgivingapushtotheeconomyandtransformingthelivesofmillions
acrossthecountry.
FollowingarethehighlightsoftheinitiativestakenbyNITIAyog:

I. VisionDocument,Strategy&ActionAgendabeyond12thFiveYearPlan:ReplacingtheFiveYearPlans
beyond31stMarch,2017,NITIAayogisintheprocessofpreparingthe15yearvisiondocumentkeepinginview
thesocialgoalssetand/orproposedforaperiodof15yearsA7yearstrategydocumentspanning201718to
202324 to convert the longerterm vision into implementable policy and action as a part of a National
DevelopmentAgendaisalsobeingworkedupon.The3yearActionAgendafor201718to201920,alignedto
thepredictabilityoffinancialresourcesduringthe14thFinanceCommissionAwardperiod,hasbeencompleted
andwillbesubmittedbeforetheHonblePMonApril23rdatthe3rdGoverningCouncilMeeting

II.ReformsinAgriculture:

a.ModelLandLeasingLaw

Takingnoteofincreasingincidentsofleasinginandoutoflandandsuboptimaluseoflandwithlessernumberof
cultivators,NITIAayoghasformulatedaModelAgriculturalLandLeasingAct,2016tobothrecognizetherightsof
thetenantandsafeguardinterestoflandowners.AdedicatedcellforlandreformswasalsosetupinNITI.Basedon
the model act, Madhya Pradesh has enacted separate land leasing law and Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have
modifiedtheirlandleasinglaws.SomeStates,includingOdisha,AndhraPradeshandTelangana,arealreadyatan
advancestageofformulatinglegislationstoenacttheirlandleasinglawsforagriculture.
b.ReformsoftheAgriculturalProduceMarketingCommitteeAct
NITIAayogconsultedwiththeStateson21October2016onthreecriticalreforms
(i)Agriculturalmarketingreforms
(ii)Fellingandtransitlawsfortreeproducegrownatprivateland
(iii)Agriculturallandleasing

Subsequently,ModelAPMCActversion2prepared.StatesarebeingconsultedtoadoptAPMCActversion2.
c.AgriculturalMarketingandFarmerFriendlyReformsIndex

NITIAayog has developed the first ever Agriculture Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index to sensitise
states about the need to undertake reforms in the three key areas of Agriculture Market Reforms, Land Lease
Reforms and Forestry on Private Land (Felling and Transit of Trees). The index carries a score with a minimum
value0implyingnoreformsandmaximumvalue100implyingcompletereformsintheselectedareas.
AsperNITIAayogsindex,Maharashtrarankshighestinimplementationofvariousagriculturalreforms.TheState
has implemented most of the marketing reforms and offers the best environment for undertaking agribusiness
amongalltheStatesandUTs.Gujaratrankssecondwithascoreof71.50outof100,closelyfollowedbyRajasthan
andMadhyaPradesh.AlmosttwothirdStateshavenotbeenabletoreacheventhehalfwaymarkofreformsscore,in
the year 201617. The index aims to induce a healthy competition between States and percolate best practices in
implementingfarmerfriendlyreforms.
III.ReformingMedicalEducation


AcommitteechairedbyViceChairman,NITIAayogrecommendedscrappingoftheMedicalCouncilofIndiand
suggested a new body for regulating medical education. The draft legislation for the proposed National Medical
CommissionhasbeensubmittedtotheGovernmentforfurthernecessaryaction.

IV.DigitalPaymentsMovement:

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx 1/3
2017-6-3 Highlights of initiatives under NITI Aayog
a.Anactionplanonadvocacy,awarenessandcoordinationofhandholdingeffortsamonggeneralpublic,micro
enterprisesandotherstakeholderswasprepared.Appropriateliteratureinprintandmultimediawasprepared
on the subject for widespread dissemination. Presentations/ interactions were organized by NITI Aayog for
trainingandcapacitybuildingofvariousMinistries/DepartmentsofGovernmentofIndia,representativesof
State/UTs,TradeandIndustryBodiesaswellasallotherstakeholders.

b. NITIAayogalsoconstitutedaCommitteeofChiefMinistersonDigitalPaymentson30thNovember2016
with Honble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, as the Convener to promote
transparency,financialinclusionandahealthyfinancialecosystemnationwide.TheCommitteesubmittedits
interimreporttoHonblePrimeMinisterinJanuary2017.

c. ToincentivizetheStates/UTsforpromotionofdigitaltransactions,CentralassistanceofRs.50crorewould
beprovidedtothedistrictsforundertakingInformation,EducationandCommunicationactivitiestobring5
croreJanDhanaccountstodigitalplatform.

d.CashbackandreferralbonusschemeswerelaunchedbyHon'blePrimeMinisteron14.4.2017topromotethe
useofdigitalpaymentsthroughtheBHIMApp.

e.NitiAayogalsolaunchedtwoincentiveschemestotopromotedigitalpaymentsacrossallsectionsofsociety
theLuckyGrahakYojanaandtheDigiDhanVyaparYojanaOver16lakhconsumersandmerchantshave
wonRs.256croreunderthesetwoschemes.

f.DigiDhanMelaswerealsoheldfor100daysin100cities,fromDecember25thtoApril14th.

V. AtalInnovationMission:TheGovernmenthassetupAtalInnovationMission(AIM)inNITIAayogwitha
viewtostrengthenthecountrysinnovationandentrepreneurshipecosystembycreatinginstitutionsandprograms
thatspurinnovationinschools,colleges,andentrepreneursingeneral.In201617,thefollowingmajorschemes
wererolledout:
a.AtalTinkeringLabs(ATLs):Tofostercreativityandscientifictemperinstudents,AIMishelpingtoestablish
500ATLsinschoolsacrossIndia,wherestudentscandesignandmakesmallprototypestosolvechallenges
theyseearoundthem,usingrapidprototypingtechnologiesthathaveemergedinrecentyears.
b.AtalIncubationCentres(AICs):AIMwillprovidefinancialsupportofRs.10croreandcapacitybuidlingfor
settingAICsacrossIndia,whichwillhelpstartupsexpandquickerandenableinnovationentrepreneurship,in
coresectorssuchasmanufacturing,transport,energy,education,agriculture,waterandsanitation,etc.

VI. IndicesMeasuringStatesPerformanceinHealth,EducationandWaterManagement:AspartofthePrime

MinistersFocusonoutcomes,NITIhascomeoutwithindicestomeasureincrementalannualoutcomesincritical
social sectors like health, education and water with a view to nudge the states into competing with each other for
better outcomes, while at the same time sharing best practices & innovations to help each other an example of
competitiveandcooperativefederalism..

VII. SubGroup of Chief Ministers on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Based on the
recommendations of this SubGroup, a Cabinet note was prepared by NITI Aayog which was approved by the
Cabineton3rdAugust,2016.Amongseveralkeydecision,thesubgroupledtotherationalizationoftheexisting
CSSsinto28umbrellaschemes.

VIII.SubGroupofChiefMinistersonSwachhBharatAbhiyan:ConstitutedbyNITIAayogon9thMarch,2015,
the SubGroup has submitted its report to the Honble Prime Minister in October, 2015 and most of its
recommendationshavebeenaccepted.

th
IX. SubGroupofChiefMinistersonSkillDevelopment:Constitutedon9 March,2015,thereportoftheSub
GroupofChiefMinistersonSkillDevelopmentwaspresentedbeforetheHonblePrimeMinisteron31/12/2015.
The recommendation and actionable points emerging from the Report were approved by the Honble Prime
MinisterandareinimplementationbytheMinistryofSkillDevelopment

th
X. TaskForceonEliminationofPovertyinIndia:Constitutedon16 March,2015undertheChairmanshipof
Dr.ArvindPanagariya,ViceChairman,NITIAayog,thereportoftheTaskForcewasfinalizedandsubmittedto
Honble Prime Minister on 11th July, 2016. The report of the Task Force primarily focusses on issues of
measurementofpovertyandstrategiestocombatpoverty.Regardingestimationofpoverty,thereportoftheTask
ForcestatesthataconsensusinfavourofeithertheTendulkarorahigherpovertylinedidnotemerge.Therefore,
the Task Force has concluded that the matter be considered in greater depth by the countrys top experts on
poverty before a final decision is made. Accordingly, it is recommended that an expert committee be set up to
arriveataninformeddecisiononthelevelatwhichthepovertylineshouldbeset.Withrespecttostrategiesto

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx 2/3
2017-6-3 Highlights of initiatives under NITI Aayog
combat poverty, the Task Force has made recommendations on faster poverty reduction through employment
intensivesustainedrapidgrowthandeffectiveimplementationofantipovertyprograms.

XI.TaskForceonAgricultureDevelopment:TheTaskForceonAgriculturaldevelopmentwasconstitutedon16th

March, 2015 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog. The Task Force
basedonitsworkspreparedanoccasionalpaperentitledRaisingAgriculturalProductivityandMakingFarming
RemunerativeforFarmersfocusingon5criticalareasofIndianAgriculture.Theseare(i)RaisingProductivity,
(ii) Remunerative Prices to Farmers, (iii) Land Leasing, Land Records & Land Titles (iv) Second Green
RevolutionFocusonEasternStatesand(v)RespondingtoFarmersDistress.AftertakinginputsofalltheStates
onoccasionalpaperandthroughtheirreports,theTaskForcesubmittedthefinalreporttoPrimeMinisteron31st
May,2016.Ithassuggestedimportantpolicymeasurestobringinreformsinagricultureforthewelfareofthe
farmersaswellasenhancingtheirincome.

XII. TransformingIndiaLectureSeries:Asthegovernmentspremierthinktank,NITIAayogviewsknowledge
building&transferastheenablerofrealtransformationinStates.TobuildknowledgesystemsforStatesandthe
Centre, NITI Aayog launched the NITI Lectures: Transforming India series, with full support of the Prime
Minister on 26th August 2016. The lecture series is aimed at addressing the top policy making team of the
GovernmentofIndia,includingmembersofthecabinetandseveraltoplayersofthebureaucracy.Itaimsisto
bringcuttingedgeideasindevelopmentpolicytoIndianpolicymakersandpublic,soastopromotethecauseof
transformation of India into a prosperous modern economy. The Honble Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore,
Shri Tharman Shanmugaratnam, delivered the first lecture on the topic: India and the Global Economy. On
November16th,2016,BillGates,CoFounder,BillandMelindaGatesFoundation,deliveredthesecondlecturein
theseriesunderthetheme:'TechnologyandTransformation'.

****

AKT/NT/RK

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx 3/3