RAS question
The Planning Commission of India was replaced by:
Correct answer: (C) NITI Aayog.
The Planning Commission of India was replaced by NITI Aayog, the National Institution for Transforming India, on 1 January 2015.
Explanation
The Union Government established NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015 as the replacement for the Planning Commission. Its full name is the National Institution for Transforming India. The shift matters because NITI Aayog was designed as a policy think tank rather than a Planning Commission-style body built around a one-way Centre-to-state flow of policy. The PIB release says NITI Aayog would provide directional and strategic input into the development process, give strategic and technical advice to the Union and state governments, and build a continuing partnership with states. The institution that replaced the Planning Commission is NITI Aayog, not another advisory, fiscal, or Planning Commission-era body.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The National Development Council belonged to the Planning Commission-era institutional set-up, whereas the PIB release identifies NITI Aayog as the replacement for the Planning Commission.
- (B) The Economic Advisory Council is a separate advisory body, while the PIB release specifically names NITI Aayog as the institution established to replace the Planning Commission.
- (D) The Finance Commission is a fiscal body concerned with tax distribution, not the policy think tank established in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission.
Concept
The post-2014 institutional change reshaped India's planning framework. RAS Indian Economy coverage often includes the evolution of planning, federalism, and policy advisory institutions.