NITI Aayog should prepare a plan for the transformation of every district on the lines of its plan for the eight aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said at a meeting with officials of NITI Aayog here on Monday.

It is noteworthy that out of the 115 districts selected from the country as aspirational districts, 8 districts (Chitrakoot, Fatehpur, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddhartha Nagar, Chandauli, and Sonbhadra) are from Uttar Pradesh, an official release of the Uttar Pradesh government said.

They have been selected on 49 parameters, namely- human development index, medical and nutrition, agriculture, water resources, financial inclusion, skill development, and infrastructure.

"The state government will provide all possible help for the same. Once the plan is made it will be implemented effectively in a time-bound manner," Adityanath said.

Chief Executive Officer of Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant, and his colleagues presented the details of the progress of eight aspirational districts before the Chief Minister.&nbsp;

Praising the progress of the state, the Aayog members said that they want the aspirational districts of Uttar Pradesh should come at the top among the 115 districts in all the major parameters.&nbsp;

Aayog members said in the next 3-4 months, all the aspirational districts of UP will be on the top of every key parameter.&nbsp;

The officials of the Aayog suggested that the good works done in the aspirational districts should be shared with them through the District Magistrates of the concerned districts.

"They will share it with the world through social media.&nbsp;

The entire transformation work of the districts should be done in team spirit and there should be proper coordination between the representatives of the Centre and State.&nbsp;

In order to represent the ranking of the work on the dashboard, the data entry should be done correctly and timely," read the government press release. 
In the meeting, Chief Secretary Dr&nbsp;Anup Chandra Pandey, Principal Secretary, Information Awanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of the concerned departments, Principal Secretary to the Chief MinisterMrityunjay Narayan and senior officials of the NITI Ayog were present.

NITI Aayog should prepare a plan for the transformation of every district on the lines of its plan for the eight aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said at a meeting with officials of NITI Aayog here on Monday.

NITI Aayog should prepare a plan for the transformation of every district on the lines of its plan for the eight aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said at a meeting with officials of NITI Aayog here on Monday. It is noteworthy that out of the 115 districts selected from the country as aspirational districts, 8 districts (Chitrakoot, Fatehpur, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddhartha Nagar, Chandauli, and Sonbhadra) are from Uttar Pradesh, an official release of the Uttar Pradesh government said. They have been selected on 49 parameters, namely- human development index, medical and nutrition, agriculture, water resources, financial inclusion, skill development, and infrastructure. "The state government will provide all possible help for the same. Once the plan is made it will be implemented effectively in a time-bound manner," Adityanath said. Chief Executive Officer of Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant, and his colleagues presented the details of the progress of eight aspirational districts before the Chief Minister. Praising the progress of the state, the Aayog members said that they want the aspirational districts of Uttar Pradesh should come at the top among the 115 districts in all the major parameters. Aayog members said in the next 3-4 months, all the aspirational districts of UP will be on the top of every key parameter. The officials of the Aayog suggested that the good works done in the aspirational districts should be shared with them through the District Magistrates of the concerned districts. "They will share it with the world through social media. The entire transformation work of the districts should be done in team spirit and there should be proper coordination between the representatives of the Centre and State. In order to represent the ranking of the work on the dashboard, the data entry should be done correctly and timely," read the government press release. In the meeting, Chief Secretary Dr Anup Chandra Pandey, Principal Secretary, Information Awanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of the concerned departments, Principal Secretary to the Chief MinisterMrityunjay Narayan and senior officials of the NITI Ayog were present.

NITI Aayog should prepare plan for every district's transformation: Yogi Adityanath

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Thursday hailed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calling it as path-breaking and very comprehensive.

Speaking to ANI, Kant said, "The Union Budget 2019 is path-breaking. It is a very comprehensive budget. We are particularly delighted as Finance Minister has acknowledged role of Niti. But more important is the road map that she has set for laying down a vision for 5 trillion US dollars economy."

"We needed credit flow to take off, so Sitharaman has provided Rs 70,000 crores to the banks. She is focused on strategic disinvestment and asset monetization. This should bring in the role of the private sector in India," said Kant.

"The Finance Minister has also provided 100 lakh crore over a period of five years to drive infrastructure. With this, we are able to create roads, ports, airports and we will see a huge multiplier effect in the economy," he said.

NITI Aayog CEO further said, "The other key thing is that this budget pushes for a very unique ecosystem for startups. Sitharaman takes the issue of Angel tax. She pushes for digitisation in a very big way that merchants does not pay the extra amount. She pushes for an electric vehicle."

"Sitharaman has talked about large scale manufacture. She spoke of opening Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in several areas like airports. She has opened up a single brand route which will enable the foreign mobile country to manufacture here. It is a massive thrust to manufacture," he said.

To a question about fiscal policy, Kant said, "Sitharaman brought the target of the fiscal deficit from 3.4 per cent to 3.3 per cent."

Talking about NITI Aayog's role, Kant said, "NITI Aayog will focus on every aspect of the budget like structural changes in agriculture. We will focus on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), electric vehicle and artificial intelligence as all these are areas of growth."

"MSMEs will play a critical role as it is a very big job creator. India can not grow without jobs and MSMEs will provide it," he added.

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Thursday hailed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calling it as path-breaking and very comprehensive.

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Thursday hailed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calling it as path-breaking and very comprehensive. Speaking to ANI, Kant said, "The Union Budget 2019 is path-breaking. It is a very comprehensive budget. We are particularly delighted as Finance Minister has acknowledged role of Niti. But more important is the road map that she has set for laying down a vision for 5 trillion US dollars economy." "We needed credit flow to take off, so Sitharaman has provided Rs 70,000 crores to the banks. She is focused on strategic disinvestment and asset monetization. This should bring in the role of the private sector in India," said Kant. "The Finance Minister has also provided 100 lakh crore over a period of five years to drive infrastructure. With this, we are able to create roads, ports, airports and we will see a huge multiplier effect in the economy," he said. NITI Aayog CEO further said, "The other key thing is that this budget pushes for a very unique ecosystem for startups. Sitharaman takes the issue of Angel tax. She pushes for digitisation in a very big way that merchants does not pay the extra amount. She pushes for an electric vehicle." "Sitharaman has talked about large scale manufacture. She spoke of opening Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in several areas like airports. She has opened up a single brand route which will enable the foreign mobile country to manufacture here. It is a massive thrust to manufacture," he said. To a question about fiscal policy, Kant said, "Sitharaman brought the target of the fiscal deficit from 3.4 per cent to 3.3 per cent." Talking about NITI Aayog's role, Kant said, "NITI Aayog will focus on every aspect of the budget like structural changes in agriculture. We will focus on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), electric vehicle and artificial intelligence as all these are areas of growth." "MSMEs will play a critical role as it is a very big job creator. India can not grow without jobs and MSMEs will provide it," he added.

Budget 2019: It is 'path-breaking, comprehensive', says NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

The latest NITI Aayog’s State Health Index and the last few weeks have signalled a crisis in India’s healthcare sector that saw some exceptional developments in Modi 1.0.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first regime made healthcare a subtle mascot, instrumental in securing a historic second mandate.&nbsp;

In his second innings, Modi 2.0 should be able to turn on the governance lens on healthcare and capitalise on increasing the penetration of health by making the ecosystem tech-enabled, patient-friendly and systematically robust, both at the central and the state level.&nbsp;

The renewed focus on medical devices as a sunshine sector through the National Medical Devices Promotion Council has realised the huge potential of this industry, which now needs to be taken forward to make India among the top devices manufacturing hub globally and end import dependence.

It will help in adopting a prudent approach to pricing and encouraging domestic players to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible.&nbsp;

A long-term window is now available to complete the tasks Modi 1.0 set out to do five years ago. All eyes will now be on Ayushman Bharat, the trump card, which played an important part in influencing voters that targets 500 million people, comprising 40% of the poorest.&nbsp;

Despite some teething problems, this huge initiative launched last year as one of the world’s biggest publicly funded healthcare programmes has benefitted over 25 lakh people so far.

Challenges such as making the scheme financially viable, fraud-free, ensuring timely payment for the empanelled hospitals out of which nearly 50% are private, and covering their marginal cost, are aspects that need to be addressed more minutely now.

Provisioning of telemedicine and diagnostic laboratory facilities at 1,50,000 health and wellness centres (HWCs) that were planned to be set up by 2022, need to be put in place along with AYUSH setups as an added service.

NITI Aayog estimates that nearly 2,500 more hospitals will be constructed in various parts of the country in the next five years.&nbsp;

Linking primary centres with the hospitalisation plan, a sophisticated IT system that has a strong anti-fraud approach and can keep cost under control and provide better purchasing policies for medical supplies and drugs, will help.

Add to it, increased focus on providing preventive health services by the easy availability of nurses, pharmacists and other paramedical personnel in these centres, along with an equal ratio of MBBS and post-graduate medical seats to fulfil healthcare basics, is now priority to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage.&nbsp;

The newly-formed National Medical Devices Promotion Council and revisiting “Make in India” amidst the current US-India trade-war will be extremely crucial for Modi 2.0, especially when India has immense potential to become self-reliant and emerge as a rewarding hub for low-cost manufacturing, reduce import dependency in this sector while creating employment and growth.

In this direction, strengthening regulatory systems for pharmaceutical products, an essential-devices list and a separate pricing policy for medical devices are need of the hour.&nbsp;

The government’s first Union Budget of 2019, to be presented in a few days, must rise by 25-30%, as compared to the previous Budget.

In addition, states have to be stimulated to increase their health budgets simultaneously, and steadily increase their public health spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025 every year.

The major areas of emphasis have to health financing, health workforce and strengthening the National Health Policy 2017, a well-drafted document that needs to be revisited since it had a variety of disease-control measures targeted to tackle wide-ranging health challenges.

India’s health indicators have lagged behind peers and neighbours despite accelerated economic growth. The gaps are still wide despite some impressive health gains in Prime Minister Modi’s first term.&nbsp;

With the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the agenda for health system transformation needs to accelerate and Modi 2.0 has to show that political will is even more important than professional skill for addressing India’s health issues.

Much can be achieved over the next five years for the Prime Minister to proudly proclaim from the Red Fort that India’s progress in health matches its economic development.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-modi-20-needs-to-fulfil-promise-held-out-by-ayushman-bharat-2766774">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The latest NITI Aayog’s State Health Index and the last few weeks have signalled a crisis in India’s healthcare sector that saw some exceptional developments in Modi 1.

The latest NITI Aayog’s State Health Index and the last few weeks have signalled a crisis in India’s healthcare sector that saw some exceptional developments in Modi 1.0. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first regime made healthcare a subtle mascot, instrumental in securing a historic second mandate. In his second innings, Modi 2.0 should be able to turn on the governance lens on healthcare and capitalise on increasing the penetration of health by making the ecosystem tech-enabled, patient-friendly and systematically robust, both at the central and the state level. The renewed focus on medical devices as a sunshine sector through the National Medical Devices Promotion Council has realised the huge potential of this industry, which now needs to be taken forward to make India among the top devices manufacturing hub globally and end import dependence. It will help in adopting a prudent approach to pricing and encouraging domestic players to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible. A long-term window is now available to complete the tasks Modi 1.0 set out to do five years ago. All eyes will now be on Ayushman Bharat, the trump card, which played an important part in influencing voters that targets 500 million people, comprising 40% of the poorest. Despite some teething problems, this huge initiative launched last year as one of the world’s biggest publicly funded healthcare programmes has benefitted over 25 lakh people so far. Challenges such as making the scheme financially viable, fraud-free, ensuring timely payment for the empanelled hospitals out of which nearly 50% are private, and covering their marginal cost, are aspects that need to be addressed more minutely now. Provisioning of telemedicine and diagnostic laboratory facilities at 1,50,000 health and wellness centres (HWCs) that were planned to be set up by 2022, need to be put in place along with AYUSH setups as an added service. NITI Aayog estimates that nearly 2,500 more hospitals will be constructed in various parts of the country in the next five years. Linking primary centres with the hospitalisation plan, a sophisticated IT system that has a strong anti-fraud approach and can keep cost under control and provide better purchasing policies for medical supplies and drugs, will help. Add to it, increased focus on providing preventive health services by the easy availability of nurses, pharmacists and other paramedical personnel in these centres, along with an equal ratio of MBBS and post-graduate medical seats to fulfil healthcare basics, is now priority to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage. The newly-formed National Medical Devices Promotion Council and revisiting “Make in India” amidst the current US-India trade-war will be extremely crucial for Modi 2.0, especially when India has immense potential to become self-reliant and emerge as a rewarding hub for low-cost manufacturing, reduce import dependency in this sector while creating employment and growth. In this direction, strengthening regulatory systems for pharmaceutical products, an essential-devices list and a separate pricing policy for medical devices are need of the hour. The government’s first Union Budget of 2019, to be presented in a few days, must rise by 25-30%, as compared to the previous Budget. In addition, states have to be stimulated to increase their health budgets simultaneously, and steadily increase their public health spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025 every year. The major areas of emphasis have to health financing, health workforce and strengthening the National Health Policy 2017, a well-drafted document that needs to be revisited since it had a variety of disease-control measures targeted to tackle wide-ranging health challenges. India’s health indicators have lagged behind peers and neighbours despite accelerated economic growth. The gaps are still wide despite some impressive health gains in Prime Minister Modi’s first term. With the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the agenda for health system transformation needs to accelerate and Modi 2.0 has to show that political will is even more important than professional skill for addressing India’s health issues. Much can be achieved over the next five years for the Prime Minister to proudly proclaim from the Red Fort that India’s progress in health matches its economic development. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Agenda for health system transformation needs to accelerate

Think tank <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/circular-economy-can-generate-14-crore-jobs-in-next-5-7-years-niti-aayog-ceo-amitabh-kant-228151">Niti Aayog</a> Sunday said that expert panel for macroeconomics and employment came out with suggestions to achieve $5-trillion economy target during an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/pm-economists-meet-single-minded-pursuit-for-growth-fdi-in-banking-divestment-discussed-229610">PM Modi on Saturday had an interaction</a> with economists and industry experts on India's current economic situation.&nbsp;

"Expert committee for Macroeconomics &amp; Employment presented their suggestions to PM @narendramodi for achieving the $5 Trillion economy target. Improvement of governance in PSU banks, enhancing the growth rate of exports &amp; employment generation were some of the key areas identified," the Aayog said in a tweet.

During the interactive session, ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget next month, all participants made a case for "single-minded pursuit" to achieve growth, according to sources.

A release issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said that the session organised by Niti Aayog on 'Economic Policy - The Road Ahead' was attended by over 40 economists and sectoral experts.

Further opening of banking and insurance sectors for FDI, speeding up disinvestment process and management of water resources were also among the focus areas of Modi's interaction with economists and industry experts, they added.

"During the session, participants shared their views, in five distinct groups, on the economic themes of macro economy and employment, agriculture and water resources, exports, education and health," said the release.

N Chandrasekaran (Chairman, Tata Sons), T V Narendran (Global CEO and MD, Tata Steel), Anil Agarwal (Chairman, Vedanta Resources), Sanjiv Puri (Chairman and MD, ITC), and Vijay Shekhar Sharma (CEO, Paytm) were among the industry leaders who had put forth their views in the meeting.

Among the economists and experts who were present at the meeting were Bimal Jalan (former RBI Governor), Shankar Acharya (former Chief Economic Adviser), Surjit Bhalla (former PMEAC member), Vikram Limay (CEO, NSE), Sonal Varma (Chief Economist, Nomura), Shekhar Shah (DG, NCAER), and Bibek Debroy (Chairman, EAC-PM).&nbsp;

The PMO release had said the Prime Minister thanked all participants for their suggestions and observations on various aspects of the economy.&nbsp;

The Saturday meeting was also attended by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State (independent charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjeet Singh.

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and senior government officials were also present.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the full Budget for 2019-20 on July 5 in the Lok Sabha.

It will be the first full Budget of the Modi 2.0 government.

Think tank Niti Aayog Sunday said that expert panel for macroeconomics and employment came out with suggestions to achieve $5-trillion economy target during an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Think tank Niti Aayog Sunday said that expert panel for macroeconomics and employment came out with suggestions to achieve $5-trillion economy target during an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi on Saturday had an interaction with economists and industry experts on India's current economic situation. "Expert committee for Macroeconomics & Employment presented their suggestions to PM @narendramodi for achieving the $5 Trillion economy target. Improvement of governance in PSU banks, enhancing the growth rate of exports & employment generation were some of the key areas identified," the Aayog said in a tweet. During the interactive session, ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget next month, all participants made a case for "single-minded pursuit" to achieve growth, according to sources. A release issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said that the session organised by Niti Aayog on 'Economic Policy - The Road Ahead' was attended by over 40 economists and sectoral experts. Further opening of banking and insurance sectors for FDI, speeding up disinvestment process and management of water resources were also among the focus areas of Modi's interaction with economists and industry experts, they added. "During the session, participants shared their views, in five distinct groups, on the economic themes of macro economy and employment, agriculture and water resources, exports, education and health," said the release. N Chandrasekaran (Chairman, Tata Sons), T V Narendran (Global CEO and MD, Tata Steel), Anil Agarwal (Chairman, Vedanta Resources), Sanjiv Puri (Chairman and MD, ITC), and Vijay Shekhar Sharma (CEO, Paytm) were among the industry leaders who had put forth their views in the meeting. Among the economists and experts who were present at the meeting were Bimal Jalan (former RBI Governor), Shankar Acharya (former Chief Economic Adviser), Surjit Bhalla (former PMEAC member), Vikram Limay (CEO, NSE), Sonal Varma (Chief Economist, Nomura), Shekhar Shah (DG, NCAER), and Bibek Debroy (Chairman, EAC-PM). The PMO release had said the Prime Minister thanked all participants for their suggestions and observations on various aspects of the economy. The Saturday meeting was also attended by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State (independent charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjeet Singh. Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and senior government officials were also present. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the full Budget for 2019-20 on July 5 in the Lok Sabha. It will be the first full Budget of the Modi 2.0 government.

Expert panel suggests ways to achieve $5-trillion economy target: NITI Aayog

Circular economy has potential to create nearly one-and-half crore jobs in next five to seven years and create lakhs of new entrepreneurs, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said here on Monday.

Speaking at 'Circular Economy Symposium 2019' organised by FICCI, Kant said that resource circularity and sustainable development are the need of the hour to implement the circular economy.

"Circular economy has the potential to generate 1.4 crore jobs in the next 5-7 years &amp; create lakhs of new entrepreneurs. Resource circularity is need of the hour to implement circular economy," he said.

A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, the maximum value is extracted from them whilst in use, the products and materials are recovered and regenerated at the end of each service life.&nbsp;

This economic system is aimed at minimising waste and making the most of resources.

Kant underlined the need for legislation to promote the circular economy in the country. "Several countries have recognised the centrality of the circularity as the new paradigm for sustainable development. They have not only embraced the concept of circular economy in their daily life but also brought in regulations to ensure higher compliance and promote more reuse, refurbishment and recycling," he said.

He said that by 2050, the world population would reach 9.7 billion of which 3 billion people would prosper to middle-class consumption level.

This would require 71 per cent more resources per capita, thereby raising total mineral and material demand from 50 billion tonnes in 2014 to 130 billion tonnes in 2050, he noted.

The NITI Aayog also stressed on the need for promoting non-government organisations to spread awareness and developing a circular economy as a national agenda.

Circular economy has potential to create nearly one-and-half crore jobs in next five to seven years and create lakhs of new entrepreneurs, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said here on Monday.

Circular economy has potential to create nearly one-and-half crore jobs in next five to seven years and create lakhs of new entrepreneurs, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said here on Monday. Speaking at 'Circular Economy Symposium 2019' organised by FICCI, Kant said that resource circularity and sustainable development are the need of the hour to implement the circular economy. "Circular economy has the potential to generate 1.4 crore jobs in the next 5-7 years & create lakhs of new entrepreneurs. Resource circularity is need of the hour to implement circular economy," he said. A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, the maximum value is extracted from them whilst in use, the products and materials are recovered and regenerated at the end of each service life. This economic system is aimed at minimising waste and making the most of resources. Kant underlined the need for legislation to promote the circular economy in the country. "Several countries have recognised the centrality of the circularity as the new paradigm for sustainable development. They have not only embraced the concept of circular economy in their daily life but also brought in regulations to ensure higher compliance and promote more reuse, refurbishment and recycling," he said. He said that by 2050, the world population would reach 9.7 billion of which 3 billion people would prosper to middle-class consumption level. This would require 71 per cent more resources per capita, thereby raising total mineral and material demand from 50 billion tonnes in 2014 to 130 billion tonnes in 2050, he noted. The NITI Aayog also stressed on the need for promoting non-government organisations to spread awareness and developing a circular economy as a national agenda.

Circular economy can generate 1.4 crore jobs in next 5-7 years: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog's Governing Council which will focus on issues like the drought situation, farm distress, rain-water harvesting and preparedness for Kharif crops.

PM Modi chairs 5th Niti Aayog meeting; Spells out govt's 2024 plans

Jagan Mohan Reddy to take part in NITI Aayog meet. Jagan to raise special status demand for A.P. Special status for a state is a contentious issue. Basically 30% GDP goes to special category states. Watch this video to know more.

India Watch: Jagan Demands 'Special Status For Andhra Pradesh'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/developing-india-into-5-trillion-economy-challenging-but-achievable-pm-modi-at-niti-aayog-meeting-227331">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> has announced a high-level task force to bring structural reforms in agriculture in the country, said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/niti-aayog-meeting-chief-ministers-demand-more-central-funds-to-deal-with-agri-distress-227451">NITI Aayog</a> Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Saturday.

"The Prime Minister has announced a high-level task force to bring structural reform in agriculture. The task force will be constituted very soon. It will submit its report in 2-3 months. The emphasis is on how to increase production and marketing in the agriculture sector," said Kumar while briefing media persons about the 5th meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog.

Kumar said that rainwater harvesting, drought situation and relief measures, aspirational districts, agricultural sector transformation and modernisation, and security-related issues were the key issues discussed during the meeting.

"This is the first time after Independence that there is monsoon deficit continuously for five years. This year the monsoon is projected to be normal at about 96 per cent but still not 100 per cent. Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Gujarat have told the meeting about the steps taken by them," said Kumar.

Talking about the North East Water Management Committee meeting, Kumar said, "The North East Water Management Committee constituted by the Prime Minister and chaired by me has submitted its report. It will be implemented as all north-east states have agreed to it. It deals with Brahmaputra-Barak river basin development."

Talking about the economy, Kumar said that the meeting has agreed that each and every state would set its own goal of increasing its economy.

"The meeting decided that emphasis will be on increasing export," he said.

Kumar said that India's economy is to be made the US $5 trillion dollar economy. He also informed that Prime Minister Modi suggested that development should be done at block level for which blocks should be selected in the district and development should be done.

Talking about how the devolution from the Centre to the State, Kumar said, "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the devolution from the Centre to the State has increased by more than two times in the past five years from Rs 20 lakh crore to Rs 41 lakh crore."

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said the States had a request that the Central government should review the guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund.

"We will be doing it in cooperation with Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture," he said.

Kant said that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath especially mentioned that the Forest Act needs a few changes while Goa and many other states said the production in the mining sector was at a decline.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a high-level task force to bring structural reforms in agriculture in the country, said NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a high-level task force to bring structural reforms in agriculture in the country, said NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Saturday. "The Prime Minister has announced a high-level task force to bring structural reform in agriculture. The task force will be constituted very soon. It will submit its report in 2-3 months. The emphasis is on how to increase production and marketing in the agriculture sector," said Kumar while briefing media persons about the 5th meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog. Kumar said that rainwater harvesting, drought situation and relief measures, aspirational districts, agricultural sector transformation and modernisation, and security-related issues were the key issues discussed during the meeting. "This is the first time after Independence that there is monsoon deficit continuously for five years. This year the monsoon is projected to be normal at about 96 per cent but still not 100 per cent. Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Gujarat have told the meeting about the steps taken by them," said Kumar. Talking about the North East Water Management Committee meeting, Kumar said, "The North East Water Management Committee constituted by the Prime Minister and chaired by me has submitted its report. It will be implemented as all north-east states have agreed to it. It deals with Brahmaputra-Barak river basin development." Talking about the economy, Kumar said that the meeting has agreed that each and every state would set its own goal of increasing its economy. "The meeting decided that emphasis will be on increasing export," he said. Kumar said that India's economy is to be made the US $5 trillion dollar economy. He also informed that Prime Minister Modi suggested that development should be done at block level for which blocks should be selected in the district and development should be done. Talking about how the devolution from the Centre to the State, Kumar said, "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the devolution from the Centre to the State has increased by more than two times in the past five years from Rs 20 lakh crore to Rs 41 lakh crore." NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said the States had a request that the Central government should review the guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund. "We will be doing it in cooperation with Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture," he said. Kant said that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath especially mentioned that the Forest Act needs a few changes while Goa and many other states said the production in the mining sector was at a decline.

PM Modi announces 'high level task force' to bring structural reform in agriculture

More central assistance to deal with farm sector distress and natural calamities, and compensation against loss of revenue on account of GST implementation beyond the five-year period were among the key demands raised by the states during the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/developing-india-into-5-trillion-economy-challenging-but-achievable-pm-modi-at-niti-aayog-meeting-227331">fifth Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog</a>&nbsp;Saturday.

Speaking at the meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy made a strong pitch to grant special category status to the debt-ridden state and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be "gracious" in fulfilling the promise made in Parliament and also in the BJP's 2014 poll manifesto.

On the other hand, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan regretted that Niti Aayog has not "played the much-expected role of a facilitator" in the last four years and perhaps was not a substitute for the erstwhile Planning Commission.

In his inaugural remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that Niti Aayog has a key role to play in fulfilling the mantra of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, SabkaVishwas". He asked the states to work towards increasing the country's GDP and help it achieve the goal USD 5 trillion economy by 2024.

The meeting was attended by senior union ministers and almost all the chief ministers, except Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal) and K Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana). Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who could not attend the meeting due to health reasons deputed his finance minister Manpreet Badal for the meeting.

Banerjee had earlier said she would not attend the meeting saying Niti Aayog is a "fruitless" body as it has no financial powers. Rao did not come as he was busy with preparations for the launch of the ambitious Rs 80,000 crore Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project that would end water woes in the state.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur too was not able to participate as he was in Germany.

Speaking at the meeting, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged the Aayog to rework the eligibility criteria for draught compensation in affected areas and reduce the crop damage limit from 33 per cent to 20 per cent.

He also urged that the CRPF companies deployed in Naxal-hit Chandauli and Sonbhadra districts of the state should not be withdrawn and the Union Home Ministry should take back its order.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister stressed that the central forces were required to keep a check on Naxal activities. He also suggested that the loan facility under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme should be based on the crop, instead of land area.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has won the fifth consecutive term, batted for simultaneous elections and said frequent polls "vitiate development".

He said the focus of the country as large as India should be on agriculture.

Mentioning how the recent cyclone 'Fani' had caused massive devastation to the public infrastructure, property and livelihoods in Odisha, Patnaik said natural calamity should be included as a criterion for according Special Category Status to Odisha.

Sarbananda Sonowal, the Chief Minister of Assam sought enhanced assistance to the people affected by natural calamities like floods, which hit the state every year.

He also raised key issues pertinent to the state's development and underlined the future roadmap for state and central government's partnership.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, in his intervention, asked the Centre to extend GST compensation beyond five years, saying that the state will face "severe financial crunch" after the recompense period ends in 2022.

While implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Centre had assured the states to compensate them for loss of their revenue for five years till 2022.

"While the revenue gap is being bridged by the assured compensation till 2022, the state has limited scope to mobilise additional revenue thereafter," Kumaraswamy said.&nbsp;

More central assistance to deal with farm sector distress and natural calamities, and compensation against loss of revenue on account of GST implementation beyond the five-year period were among the key demands raised by the states during the fifth Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog Saturday.

More central assistance to deal with farm sector distress and natural calamities, and compensation against loss of revenue on account of GST implementation beyond the five-year period were among the key demands raised by the states during the fifth Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog Saturday. Speaking at the meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy made a strong pitch to grant special category status to the debt-ridden state and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be "gracious" in fulfilling the promise made in Parliament and also in the BJP's 2014 poll manifesto. On the other hand, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan regretted that Niti Aayog has not "played the much-expected role of a facilitator" in the last four years and perhaps was not a substitute for the erstwhile Planning Commission. In his inaugural remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that Niti Aayog has a key role to play in fulfilling the mantra of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, SabkaVishwas". He asked the states to work towards increasing the country's GDP and help it achieve the goal USD 5 trillion economy by 2024. The meeting was attended by senior union ministers and almost all the chief ministers, except Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal) and K Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana). Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who could not attend the meeting due to health reasons deputed his finance minister Manpreet Badal for the meeting. Banerjee had earlier said she would not attend the meeting saying Niti Aayog is a "fruitless" body as it has no financial powers. Rao did not come as he was busy with preparations for the launch of the ambitious Rs 80,000 crore Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project that would end water woes in the state. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur too was not able to participate as he was in Germany. Speaking at the meeting, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged the Aayog to rework the eligibility criteria for draught compensation in affected areas and reduce the crop damage limit from 33 per cent to 20 per cent. He also urged that the CRPF companies deployed in Naxal-hit Chandauli and Sonbhadra districts of the state should not be withdrawn and the Union Home Ministry should take back its order. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister stressed that the central forces were required to keep a check on Naxal activities. He also suggested that the loan facility under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme should be based on the crop, instead of land area. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has won the fifth consecutive term, batted for simultaneous elections and said frequent polls "vitiate development". He said the focus of the country as large as India should be on agriculture. Mentioning how the recent cyclone 'Fani' had caused massive devastation to the public infrastructure, property and livelihoods in Odisha, Patnaik said natural calamity should be included as a criterion for according Special Category Status to Odisha. Sarbananda Sonowal, the Chief Minister of Assam sought enhanced assistance to the people affected by natural calamities like floods, which hit the state every year. He also raised key issues pertinent to the state's development and underlined the future roadmap for state and central government's partnership. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, in his intervention, asked the Centre to extend GST compensation beyond five years, saying that the state will face "severe financial crunch" after the recompense period ends in 2022. While implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Centre had assured the states to compensate them for loss of their revenue for five years till 2022. "While the revenue gap is being bridged by the assured compensation till 2022, the state has limited scope to mobilise additional revenue thereafter," Kumaraswamy said.

NITI Aayog meeting: Chief Ministers demand more central funds to deal with agri distress

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/accept-all-demands-says-mamata-banerjee-urging-doctors-to-resume-work-227380">'Accept all demands,' says Mamata Banerjee urging doctors to resume work</a>

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stated that the state government has accepted all demands of the agitating doctors and urge them to resume work at the earliest.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/developing-india-into-5-trillion-economy-challenging-but-achievable-pm-modi-at-niti-aayog-meeting-227331">Developing India into $5 trillion economy challenging but achievable: PM Modi at NITI Aayog meeting&nbsp;</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday.

During the meeting, the prime minister said that the goal will now be to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024. The task is challenging but achievable, PM Modi said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-backs-suspension-of-hong-kong-extradition-bill-227355">'We respect and understand this decision,' China backs suspension of Hong Kong extradition bill</a>

China's government said on Saturday it supported the decision of Hong Kong's leader to suspend an unpopular bill that would allow extraditions to China and which sparked a week of protests.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/inclement-weather-hampers-operation-to-retrieve-bodies-of-iaf-aircraft-crash-victims-227354">Inclement weather hampers operation to retrieve bodies of IAF aircraft crash victims</a>

Inclement weather on Saturday hampered rescue efforts to retrieve the mortal remains of 13 air-warriors who were on board the Indian Air Force aircraft that crashed in the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, an IAF spokesman said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-irish-pm-says-no-backstop-as-bad-for-ireland-as-no-deal-227366">Brexit: Irish PM says no backstop as bad for Ireland as no deal</a>

Ireland will not allow the Northern Ireland "backstop" clause in Britain's EU withdrawal agreement to be dropped because doing so would be as big a threat to the country as Britain leaving without a deal, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Saturday.

&nbsp;

'Accept all demands,' says Mamata Banerjee urging doctors to resume work West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stated that the state government has accepted all demands of the agitating doctors and urge them to resume work at the earliest.

'Accept all demands,' says Mamata Banerjee urging doctors to resume work West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stated that the state government has accepted all demands of the agitating doctors and urge them to resume work at the earliest. Developing India into $5 trillion economy challenging but achievable: PM Modi at NITI Aayog meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday. During the meeting, the prime minister said that the goal will now be to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024. The task is challenging but achievable, PM Modi said. 'We respect and understand this decision,' China backs suspension of Hong Kong extradition bill China's government said on Saturday it supported the decision of Hong Kong's leader to suspend an unpopular bill that would allow extraditions to China and which sparked a week of protests. Inclement weather hampers operation to retrieve bodies of IAF aircraft crash victims Inclement weather on Saturday hampered rescue efforts to retrieve the mortal remains of 13 air-warriors who were on board the Indian Air Force aircraft that crashed in the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, an IAF spokesman said. Brexit: Irish PM says no backstop as bad for Ireland as no deal Ireland will not allow the Northern Ireland "backstop" clause in Britain's EU withdrawal agreement to be dropped because doing so would be as big a threat to the country as Britain leaving without a deal, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Saturday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

5th meet of NITI Aayog's governing council in New Delhi. Water crisis and farmer issues to be top agenda of this meeting. Bihar and Andhra expected to raise special status demand. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi chairs 5th NITI Aayog meeting

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-refuses-to-endorse-chinas-bri-at-sco-says-connectivity-projects-must-respect-territorial-integrity-227208">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> chaired the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday.

During the meeting, the prime minister said that the goal will now be to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024. The task is challenging but achievable, PM Modi said.&nbsp;

"Niti Aayog has a key role to play in fulfilling the mantra of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas," he stated.&nbsp;

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PM at the 5th meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog: NITI Aayog has key role to play in fulfilling the mantra of SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas, SabkaVishwas. Goal to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024, is challenging, but achievable, with the concerted efforts of states <a href="https://t.co/LMNcVHRMlW">pic.twitter.com/LMNcVHRMlW</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1139846704574939136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The meeting saw various Chief Ministers and Union Ministers in attendance&nbsp;except West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao.

Recalling the recent general elections as the world's largest democratic exercise, the prime minister said that it is now time for everyone to work for the development of India, news agency PTI reported.

He spoke of a collective fight against poverty, unemployment, drought, flood, pollution, corruption and violence.

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Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog. <a href="https://t.co/99JGEEZwiX">pic.twitter.com/99JGEEZwiX</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1139840504881795072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi also called for effective steps to tackle drought and added that the newly created Jal Shakti Ministry will help provide an integrated approach to water management.

In his last election rally in May, the prime minister had given an indication as to what will be his <a href="PM Modi also called for effective steps to tackle drought and added that the newly created Jal Shakti Ministry will help provide an integrated approach to water management.">focus area during his second term</a>.

While addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone in May, PM Modi had said, "Fifty years ago, Lohia told Jawaharlal Nehru that the most important issues facing women were water and sanitation... I am fulfilling Lohia's wish. After constructing toilets and giving dignity to women, I will focus my next term on ensuring clean drinking water."

BJP's manifesto had also promised the setting up of a unified Ministry of Water to end the water woes of the country.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Watch: Modi-Imran exchange greetings at SCO

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday. During the meeting, the prime minister said that the goal will now be to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday. During the meeting, the prime minister said that the goal will now be to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024. The task is challenging but achievable, PM Modi said. "Niti Aayog has a key role to play in fulfilling the mantra of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas," he stated. PM at the 5th meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog: NITI Aayog has key role to play in fulfilling the mantra of SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas, SabkaVishwas. Goal to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024, is challenging, but achievable, with the concerted efforts of states pic.twitter.com/LMNcVHRMlW — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019 × The meeting saw various Chief Ministers and Union Ministers in attendance except West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao. Recalling the recent general elections as the world's largest democratic exercise, the prime minister said that it is now time for everyone to work for the development of India, news agency PTI reported. He spoke of a collective fight against poverty, unemployment, drought, flood, pollution, corruption and violence. Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the 5th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog. pic.twitter.com/99JGEEZwiX — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019 × PM Modi also called for effective steps to tackle drought and added that the newly created Jal Shakti Ministry will help provide an integrated approach to water management. In his last election rally in May, the prime minister had given an indication as to what will be his focus area during his second term. While addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone in May, PM Modi had said, "Fifty years ago, Lohia told Jawaharlal Nehru that the most important issues facing women were water and sanitation... I am fulfilling Lohia's wish. After constructing toilets and giving dignity to women, I will focus my next term on ensuring clean drinking water." BJP's manifesto had also promised the setting up of a unified Ministry of Water to end the water woes of the country. (With inputs from agencies) Watch: Modi-Imran exchange greetings at SCO ×

Developing India into $5 trillion economy challenging but achievable: PM Modi at NITI Aayog meeting 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/shiv-sena-slams-mamata-banerjee-for-declining-invitation-for-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-222634">inability to attend the scheduled Niti Aayog meeting</a> on June 15, saying it was "fruitless" as the body does not have the power to support state plans.

"Given the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers," Banerjee said in a letter to the prime minister.

The chief minister also suggested that focus should be shifted to the Inter-State Council (ISC) to deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity.

"The experience of last four-and-half years we had with Niti Aayog brings me back to my earlier suggestion to you that we focus on Inter-State Council constituted under Article 263 of Constitution, with appropriate modifications to enable ISC to discharge its augmented range of functions as the nodal entity of the country," she said.

"This will deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity. May I also reiterate that the National Development Council, which has been a quiet burial, may also be subsumed within the broadened constitutional body of the Inter-State Council," the chief minister said.

Modi is set to chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog's Governing Council on June 15 to discuss various issues regarding the country's development.

Earlier too, Banerjee had skipped meetings of the policy think-tank, expressing displeasure over the dissolution of the Planning Commission and creation of a new structure.

She had sent West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra to represent the state at the meeting.

In her letter, Banerjee said the formation of Niti Aayog was unilaterally announced without any discussion with chief ministers.

She cited examples of statements made by Niti Aayog officials and a former Union minister stressing the need to give the think-tank the power to allocate funds, as part of the efforts to address regional imbalances.

Banerjee's decision of not attending Niti Aayog meeting comes amid heightened political tussle between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal.

With the saffron party bagging 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections, its leaders have asserted that they would overthrow the Trinamool Congress government in the 2021 assembly polls.

The TMC, which had won 34 seats in 2014, was able to secure 22 seats this time.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her inability to attend the scheduled Niti Aayog meeting on June 15, saying it was "fruitless" as the body does not have the power to support state plans.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her inability to attend the scheduled Niti Aayog meeting on June 15, saying it was "fruitless" as the body does not have the power to support state plans. "Given the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers," Banerjee said in a letter to the prime minister. The chief minister also suggested that focus should be shifted to the Inter-State Council (ISC) to deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity. "The experience of last four-and-half years we had with Niti Aayog brings me back to my earlier suggestion to you that we focus on Inter-State Council constituted under Article 263 of Constitution, with appropriate modifications to enable ISC to discharge its augmented range of functions as the nodal entity of the country," she said. "This will deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity. May I also reiterate that the National Development Council, which has been a quiet burial, may also be subsumed within the broadened constitutional body of the Inter-State Council," the chief minister said. Modi is set to chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog's Governing Council on June 15 to discuss various issues regarding the country's development. Earlier too, Banerjee had skipped meetings of the policy think-tank, expressing displeasure over the dissolution of the Planning Commission and creation of a new structure. She had sent West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra to represent the state at the meeting. In her letter, Banerjee said the formation of Niti Aayog was unilaterally announced without any discussion with chief ministers. She cited examples of statements made by Niti Aayog officials and a former Union minister stressing the need to give the think-tank the power to allocate funds, as part of the efforts to address regional imbalances. Banerjee's decision of not attending Niti Aayog meeting comes amid heightened political tussle between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal. With the saffron party bagging 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections, its leaders have asserted that they would overthrow the Trinamool Congress government in the 2021 assembly polls. The TMC, which had won 34 seats in 2014, was able to secure 22 seats this time.

'Fruitless' to attend Niti Aayog meeting, Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-modi-imran-meeting-planned-on-the-sidelines-of-sco-says-mea-224962">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Thursday reconstituted the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog retaining Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and three other members. Names of high profile member Bibek Debroy and Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant do not figure in the new team.

An official release said that Modi who will continue to be Chairman has retained VK Saraswat, Ramesh Chand and Dr VK Paul.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be ex-officio members of the reconstituted body while Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Social Justice Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will be special invitees.

Minister of State for the Ministry of Statistics, Rao Inderjit Singh, will also be a special invitee.

The reconstitution comes ahead of the first meeting of NITI Aayog's Governing Council on June 15, after the Modi government returned to power following the elections.

Chief Ministers of all states, Governors, Lieutenant-Governors, Union Ministers, and senior officials are slated to participate in the meeting.

The National Institution for Transforming India Aayog was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015, by the Modi government after scrapping the Planning Commission, which was instituted in 1950.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reconstituted the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog retaining Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and three other members.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reconstituted the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog retaining Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and three other members. Names of high profile member Bibek Debroy and Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant do not figure in the new team. An official release said that Modi who will continue to be Chairman has retained VK Saraswat, Ramesh Chand and Dr VK Paul. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be ex-officio members of the reconstituted body while Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Social Justice Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will be special invitees. Minister of State for the Ministry of Statistics, Rao Inderjit Singh, will also be a special invitee. The reconstitution comes ahead of the first meeting of NITI Aayog's Governing Council on June 15, after the Modi government returned to power following the elections. Chief Ministers of all states, Governors, Lieutenant-Governors, Union Ministers, and senior officials are slated to participate in the meeting. The National Institution for Transforming India Aayog was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015, by the Modi government after scrapping the Planning Commission, which was instituted in 1950.

PM Modi reconstitutes NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar to continue as vice chairman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the fifth meeting of Niti Aayog's governing council on June 15 to discuss various issues concerning water management, agriculture and security, official sources said Tuesday.

The council, the apex body of Niti Aayog, includes all chief ministers, lieutenant governors of union territories, several union ministers and senior government officials.

This will be the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government.

"All the chief ministers and heads of union territories have been invited by the Niti Aayog to participate in the meeting," sources said.

The Governing Council is expected to discuss important subjects, including major issues concerning water management, agriculture, and aspirational district programme, according to official sources.

Besides, the council will also deliberate on security issues in districts impacted by left-wing extremism in states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Headed by the Prime Minister, the Governing Council meets regularly, and its first meeting took place on February 8, 2015.

The second meeting of council on July 15, 2015, reviewed the progress made by the three sub-groups of chief ministers and the two task forces.

In the third meeting of the council on April 23, 2017, Modi had pitched for conducting simultaneous elections of the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies and shifting to a January-December fiscal year.

The fourth meeting of the council on June 17, 2018, deliberated upon measures taken to double farmers' income and the progress of government's flagship schemes.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the fifth meeting of Niti Aayog's governing council on June 15 to discuss various issues concerning water management, agriculture and security, official sources said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the fifth meeting of Niti Aayog's governing council on June 15 to discuss various issues concerning water management, agriculture and security, official sources said Tuesday. The council, the apex body of Niti Aayog, includes all chief ministers, lieutenant governors of union territories, several union ministers and senior government officials. This will be the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government. "All the chief ministers and heads of union territories have been invited by the Niti Aayog to participate in the meeting," sources said. The Governing Council is expected to discuss important subjects, including major issues concerning water management, agriculture, and aspirational district programme, according to official sources. Besides, the council will also deliberate on security issues in districts impacted by left-wing extremism in states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Headed by the Prime Minister, the Governing Council meets regularly, and its first meeting took place on February 8, 2015. The second meeting of council on July 15, 2015, reviewed the progress made by the three sub-groups of chief ministers and the two task forces. In the third meeting of the council on April 23, 2017, Modi had pitched for conducting simultaneous elections of the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies and shifting to a January-December fiscal year. The fourth meeting of the council on June 17, 2018, deliberated upon measures taken to double farmers' income and the progress of government's flagship schemes.

All Chief Ministers, Governors, Union Ministers to meet on June 15 at Niti Aayog's governing council meet

In the first 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, a slew of 'big-bang' economic reforms that should please foreign investors are likely to be pursued, according to a top official at the government's main think tank.

The reforms will include changes in labour laws, privatisation moves, and creation of land banks for new industrial development, said Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India), who reports directly to Modi.

"They (foreign investors) will have reasons to be happy. You will see a slew of reforms I can assure you of that. We are going to pretty much hit the ground running," Kumar told Reuters in an interview.

Modi is chairman of the think tank.

Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were last weeks declared landslide winners of India's general election with an increased majority in the Lok Sabha.

He was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-takes-oath-as-prime-minister-for-second-time-222847">sworn into office for his second term</a> on Thursday night.

Kumar was speaking before Modi on Thursday announced members of his new cabinet, though he hasn't said who will get which portfolio.

Watch: PM Narendra Modi to meet BIMSTEC leaders

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Niti Aayog, which now acts as the main centre for policy making and for driving new ideas, was founded four years back when Modi scrapped the 65-year old planning commission, saying that India was stifled with Soviet-style bureaucracy.

Kumar said reforms in India's complicated labour laws will see the light of day as early as the next parliamentary session in July when the government will place a new bill before the lower house for approval.

It will aim to combine 44 central laws into four codes – wages, industrial relations, social security and welfare, and the fourth - occupational safety, health and working conditions.

This should help companies avoid getting embroiled in a series of complicated disputes with their workers and officials that involve regulations set by authorities at different levels of government and can lead to long, drawn-out adjudication in various parts of the legal system.

The government could also offer swathes of land to foreign investors from the land banks it plans to create from unutilised land controlled by public sector enterprises, Kumar said.

"What could be attempted is to build an inventory of government land that can then be offered to foreign investors," Kumar said.

The land parcels could be designed as clusters catering to a specific set of investors or industrial sectors, Kumar said.

Getting access to some of the large amounts of unutilised Indian government land would reduce major risks for foreign companies as there would be a lot less risk of legal challenges over ownership and development. A lot of the sites they have used in the past was previously farmland, opening them up to protests and court action by local communities over land rights, the environment and other issues.

Kumar said the government will focus on fully privatising or closing more than 42 state-controlled companies in the coming months. The government is even mulling lifting the foreign direct investment cap on Air India, the loss-making state-owned flagship carrier, to make it easier to sell.

Kumar also said that it could create an autonomous holding company that would control all state-owned firms and wouldn't be answerable to lots of different ministries. This would speed up decision making for asset sales, avoiding much of the central government's bureaucracy.

In the first 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, a slew of 'big-bang' economic reforms that should please foreign investors are likely to be pursued, according to a top official at the government's main think tank.

In the first 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, a slew of 'big-bang' economic reforms that should please foreign investors are likely to be pursued, according to a top official at the government's main think tank. The reforms will include changes in labour laws, privatisation moves, and creation of land banks for new industrial development, said Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India), who reports directly to Modi. "They (foreign investors) will have reasons to be happy. You will see a slew of reforms I can assure you of that. We are going to pretty much hit the ground running," Kumar told Reuters in an interview. Modi is chairman of the think tank. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were last weeks declared landslide winners of India's general election with an increased majority in the Lok Sabha. He was sworn into office for his second term on Thursday night. Kumar was speaking before Modi on Thursday announced members of his new cabinet, though he hasn't said who will get which portfolio. Watch: PM Narendra Modi to meet BIMSTEC leaders × Niti Aayog, which now acts as the main centre for policy making and for driving new ideas, was founded four years back when Modi scrapped the 65-year old planning commission, saying that India was stifled with Soviet-style bureaucracy. Kumar said reforms in India's complicated labour laws will see the light of day as early as the next parliamentary session in July when the government will place a new bill before the lower house for approval. It will aim to combine 44 central laws into four codes – wages, industrial relations, social security and welfare, and the fourth - occupational safety, health and working conditions. This should help companies avoid getting embroiled in a series of complicated disputes with their workers and officials that involve regulations set by authorities at different levels of government and can lead to long, drawn-out adjudication in various parts of the legal system. The government could also offer swathes of land to foreign investors from the land banks it plans to create from unutilised land controlled by public sector enterprises, Kumar said. "What could be attempted is to build an inventory of government land that can then be offered to foreign investors," Kumar said. The land parcels could be designed as clusters catering to a specific set of investors or industrial sectors, Kumar said. Getting access to some of the large amounts of unutilised Indian government land would reduce major risks for foreign companies as there would be a lot less risk of legal challenges over ownership and development. A lot of the sites they have used in the past was previously farmland, opening them up to protests and court action by local communities over land rights, the environment and other issues. Kumar said the government will focus on fully privatising or closing more than 42 state-controlled companies in the coming months. The government is even mulling lifting the foreign direct investment cap on Air India, the loss-making state-owned flagship carrier, to make it easier to sell. Kumar also said that it could create an autonomous holding company that would control all state-owned firms and wouldn't be answerable to lots of different ministries. This would speed up decision making for asset sales, avoiding much of the central government's bureaucracy.

Foreign investors will have reasons to be happy in Modi's second term, says NITI Aayog official

Niti Aayog is working on the economic agenda for the new government where the focus will be on achieving long term sustainable growth and boosting private investments in the country, the think tank's Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday.

Lok Sabha election results would be announced on Thursday and the new government would be in place in the coming weeks.

In an interview to PTI, Kumar said Niti Aayog would submit an action plan to the new government.

"Niti Aayog is preparing something (economic agenda) and that will be submitted to the new government.

"The basic thing is that we need to take steps to increase private investments in the economy. That's a real issue and to increase the private investment, it requires greater access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," Kumar said.

According to him, the economic agenda might also pitch for extending labour subsidies to textile and leather sectors to reduce the cost of production.

Cost of capital in India is quite high, which needs to be brought down, and there is also a need to create a land bank owned by public sector undertakings so that private investment can be attracted, Kumar said.

On whether he sees a case for fiscal stimulus as the economy is slowing down, Kumar said there is always a case for fiscal stimulus provided the fiscal balance is maintained.

"So there is no case at all of busting all fiscal norms. I think we can create fiscal space through non-tax revenues being increased.

"And also including tax compliance, there is a need for expanding public capital expenditure while maintaining fiscal balance," the eminent economist opined.

Emphasising that India can achieve double-digit growth by 2022, Kumar said a good foundation for such a trajectory has already been laid in the last five years. During this period, there has been unprecedented macro stability as well as an average annual growth of 7 per cent growth.

"So there is also a social basis now for ramping up our growth," he said.

Noting that the government has done enough in last five years to be now ready to take that few steps to ramp up growth to 9 per cent, Kumar said, "I think, that by fiscal 2022, we should be able to get there (double-digit growth)."

For the current fiscal ending March 2020, Kumar expects the Indian economy to record a growth of around 7 per cent.

In February, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised downwards the growth estimate for 2018-19 fiscal from 7.2 per cent to 7 per cent, the lowest in five years.

According to a report released by the United Nations on Tuesday, India is projected to grow at 7 per cent in 2019 and 7.1 per cent in 2020.

Most exit polls have predicted a sweeping victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).&nbsp;

Niti Aayog is working on the economic agenda for the new government where the focus will be on achieving long term sustainable growth and boosting private investments in the country, the think tank's Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday.

Niti Aayog is working on the economic agenda for the new government where the focus will be on achieving long term sustainable growth and boosting private investments in the country, the think tank's Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday. Lok Sabha election results would be announced on Thursday and the new government would be in place in the coming weeks. In an interview to PTI, Kumar said Niti Aayog would submit an action plan to the new government. "Niti Aayog is preparing something (economic agenda) and that will be submitted to the new government. "The basic thing is that we need to take steps to increase private investments in the economy. That's a real issue and to increase the private investment, it requires greater access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," Kumar said. According to him, the economic agenda might also pitch for extending labour subsidies to textile and leather sectors to reduce the cost of production. Cost of capital in India is quite high, which needs to be brought down, and there is also a need to create a land bank owned by public sector undertakings so that private investment can be attracted, Kumar said. On whether he sees a case for fiscal stimulus as the economy is slowing down, Kumar said there is always a case for fiscal stimulus provided the fiscal balance is maintained. "So there is no case at all of busting all fiscal norms. I think we can create fiscal space through non-tax revenues being increased. "And also including tax compliance, there is a need for expanding public capital expenditure while maintaining fiscal balance," the eminent economist opined. Emphasising that India can achieve double-digit growth by 2022, Kumar said a good foundation for such a trajectory has already been laid in the last five years. During this period, there has been unprecedented macro stability as well as an average annual growth of 7 per cent growth. "So there is also a social basis now for ramping up our growth," he said. Noting that the government has done enough in last five years to be now ready to take that few steps to ramp up growth to 9 per cent, Kumar said, "I think, that by fiscal 2022, we should be able to get there (double-digit growth)." For the current fiscal ending March 2020, Kumar expects the Indian economy to record a growth of around 7 per cent. In February, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised downwards the growth estimate for 2018-19 fiscal from 7.2 per cent to 7 per cent, the lowest in five years. According to a report released by the United Nations on Tuesday, India is projected to grow at 7 per cent in 2019 and 7.1 per cent in 2020. Most exit polls have predicted a sweeping victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Niti Aayog's economic agenda for new government likely to focus on boosting private investment

The finance ministry is reworking strategic sale procedure to ensure the outright sale of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) within 4 months of issuance of documents to potential investors, a move aimed at ensuring the speedier conclusion of the entire process, an official said. However, for CPSEs like Air India, which is relatively bigger in size, the timeline for completion of the strategic sale is likely to be fixed at 6 months from the date of issuance of Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) about the company.

Currently, there is no set timeline for concluding the strategic sale of a state-owned company and the entire process, in some cases, drags on for months, if not years. “The strategic sale policy is already in place, but the procedure needs to be streamlined so that the sale process is completed within 3-4 months’ time. The thinking is that if a process cannot be completed in 4 months then it should be abandoned,” an official told PTI. Facing a daunting task of meeting the Rs 90,000-crore disinvestment target in the current fiscal, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will focus on an outright sale of selected CPSEs, which have been pending for long. NITI Aayog has already identified 35 profitable and loss-making CPSEs which can go in for strategic sale.

“The procedure would be drafted in a way such that the process can go on simultaneously for more than one CPSE. For bigger CPSEs, the timeline for completion of sale could be extended till about 6 months,” the official added. The companies which have been shortlisted for strategic sale include Air India, Air India subsidiary AIATSL, BEML, Scooters India, Bharat Pumps Compressors, and Bhadrawati, Salem and Durgapur units of steel major SAIL.

The other CPSEs for which approvals are in place for outright sale include Hindustan Fluorocarbon, Hindustan Newsprint, HLL Life Care, Central Electronics, Bridge &amp; Roof India, Nagarnar Steel plant of NMDC and units of Cement Corporation of India and ITDC. The process for strategic sale of many state-owned companies started back in late 2017 or early 2018 but the transactions could not be concluded.

The DIPAM had issued PIMs for sale of Pawan Hans, Bharat Pumps &amp; Compressors Ltd, Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd in April 2018, while the same for Scooters India, Hindustan Newsprint was floated in March 2018. The same of SAIL’s Alloy Steel Plant was issued in February, while that of Hindustan Prefab was posted on the website in October 2017.

However, these transactions could not be completed so far due to a variety of reasons. In last fiscal, the government had raised Rs 84,972 crore from CPSE disinvestment, of which Rs 15,914 crore came in from strategic stake sale. During the fiscal, state-owned NBCC bought government stake in HSCC for Rs 285 crore. Besides, a consortium of four ports acquired the government’s 73.44 per cent stake in Dredging Corp of India for Rs 1,049 crore, while National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) was sold for Rs 80 crore. An amount of Rs 14,500 crore was raised by way of state-run state-run Power Finance Corp acquiring the government stake in REC. So far in the current financial year, the government has mopped up Rs 2,350 through disinvestment transactions.

The finance ministry is reworking strategic sale procedure to ensure the outright sale of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) within 4 months of issuance of documents to potential investors, a move aimed at ensuring the speedier conclusion of the entire process, an official said.

The finance ministry is reworking strategic sale procedure to ensure the outright sale of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) within 4 months of issuance of documents to potential investors, a move aimed at ensuring the speedier conclusion of the entire process, an official said. However, for CPSEs like Air India, which is relatively bigger in size, the timeline for completion of the strategic sale is likely to be fixed at 6 months from the date of issuance of Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) about the company. Currently, there is no set timeline for concluding the strategic sale of a state-owned company and the entire process, in some cases, drags on for months, if not years. “The strategic sale policy is already in place, but the procedure needs to be streamlined so that the sale process is completed within 3-4 months’ time. The thinking is that if a process cannot be completed in 4 months then it should be abandoned,” an official told PTI. Facing a daunting task of meeting the Rs 90,000-crore disinvestment target in the current fiscal, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will focus on an outright sale of selected CPSEs, which have been pending for long. NITI Aayog has already identified 35 profitable and loss-making CPSEs which can go in for strategic sale. “The procedure would be drafted in a way such that the process can go on simultaneously for more than one CPSE. For bigger CPSEs, the timeline for completion of sale could be extended till about 6 months,” the official added. The companies which have been shortlisted for strategic sale include Air India, Air India subsidiary AIATSL, BEML, Scooters India, Bharat Pumps Compressors, and Bhadrawati, Salem and Durgapur units of steel major SAIL. The other CPSEs for which approvals are in place for outright sale include Hindustan Fluorocarbon, Hindustan Newsprint, HLL Life Care, Central Electronics, Bridge & Roof India, Nagarnar Steel plant of NMDC and units of Cement Corporation of India and ITDC. The process for strategic sale of many state-owned companies started back in late 2017 or early 2018 but the transactions could not be concluded. The DIPAM had issued PIMs for sale of Pawan Hans, Bharat Pumps & Compressors Ltd, Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd in April 2018, while the same for Scooters India, Hindustan Newsprint was floated in March 2018. The same of SAIL’s Alloy Steel Plant was issued in February, while that of Hindustan Prefab was posted on the website in October 2017. However, these transactions could not be completed so far due to a variety of reasons. In last fiscal, the government had raised Rs 84,972 crore from CPSE disinvestment, of which Rs 15,914 crore came in from strategic stake sale. During the fiscal, state-owned NBCC bought government stake in HSCC for Rs 285 crore. Besides, a consortium of four ports acquired the government’s 73.44 per cent stake in Dredging Corp of India for Rs 1,049 crore, while National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) was sold for Rs 80 crore. An amount of Rs 14,500 crore was raised by way of state-run state-run Power Finance Corp acquiring the government stake in REC. So far in the current financial year, the government has mopped up Rs 2,350 through disinvestment transactions.

Finance Ministry reworking strategic sale procedure for CPSEs

The Election Commission has found no violation of the poll code in Niti Aayog sharing data with the prime minister's office on places where PM Narendra Modi was set to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said the commission has disposed of the complaint as the prime minister is exempted from the provision that bars ministers from combining official visits with campaigning.

The exemption to the prime minister was given in October 2014. "It was not a one-time exemption but a standing instruction," Saxena told reporters here.

Sources later said, the Niti Aayog had not shared any political data but district-level data with the prime minister's office (PMO).

The EC had written to Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on May 4 flagging the allegations made by the Congress and the AAP.

Asking Kant to furnish the reply "immediately", the EC had referred to the allegations that the Niti Aayog has asked officers in various states and Union territories to provide to the PMO write-ups about destinations of the prime minister's campaign.

The EC also responded to a question on the Congress's fresh complaint against information allegedly sought by an officer of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade from the Commerce Ministry on Start Up India, claiming that it was meant to be used for BJP's manifesto.

The Election Commission has found no violation of the poll code in Niti Aayog sharing data with the prime minister's office on places where PM Narendra Modi was set to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Election Commission has found no violation of the poll code in Niti Aayog sharing data with the prime minister's office on places where PM Narendra Modi was set to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said the commission has disposed of the complaint as the prime minister is exempted from the provision that bars ministers from combining official visits with campaigning. The exemption to the prime minister was given in October 2014. "It was not a one-time exemption but a standing instruction," Saxena told reporters here. Sources later said, the Niti Aayog had not shared any political data but district-level data with the prime minister's office (PMO). The EC had written to Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on May 4 flagging the allegations made by the Congress and the AAP. Asking Kant to furnish the reply "immediately", the EC had referred to the allegations that the Niti Aayog has asked officers in various states and Union territories to provide to the PMO write-ups about destinations of the prime minister's campaign. The EC also responded to a question on the Congress's fresh complaint against information allegedly sought by an officer of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade from the Commerce Ministry on Start Up India, claiming that it was meant to be used for BJP's manifesto.

No model code violation by Niti Aayog in sharing district level data with PMO: Election Commission

India can consider making voting compulsory like in Australia to encourage rich and middle class to cast their ballots, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said Wednesday.

Kant's statement comes against the backdrop of low voting turnout witnessed in several urban areas of India in ongoing general elections. In Mumbai, less than 52 per cent voting was witnessed in the Lok Sabha polls held on April 29.

"Australia too is in the midst of its federal elections. Voting is compulsory and those who do not vote are fined USD 20.

"In case of non-payment, you can be taken to court and liable to be jailed. Seeing the apathy of rich and middle-class voters in urban cities of India this is worth a try," he said in a tweet.

The issue of compulsory voting has cropped up several times within and outside Parliament.

In February last year, while responding to a private member's bill introduced in the Lok Sabha on compulsory voting, then Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had said though he appreciated the intention of the members, it would not be possible for the government to introduce compulsory voting and penalise those who failed to exercise their franchise.&nbsp;

India can consider making voting compulsory like in Australia to encourage rich and middle class to cast their ballots, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said Wednesday.

India can consider making voting compulsory like in Australia to encourage rich and middle class to cast their ballots, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said Wednesday. Kant's statement comes against the backdrop of low voting turnout witnessed in several urban areas of India in ongoing general elections. In Mumbai, less than 52 per cent voting was witnessed in the Lok Sabha polls held on April 29. "Australia too is in the midst of its federal elections. Voting is compulsory and those who do not vote are fined USD 20. "In case of non-payment, you can be taken to court and liable to be jailed. Seeing the apathy of rich and middle-class voters in urban cities of India this is worth a try," he said in a tweet. The issue of compulsory voting has cropped up several times within and outside Parliament. In February last year, while responding to a private member's bill introduced in the Lok Sabha on compulsory voting, then Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had said though he appreciated the intention of the members, it would not be possible for the government to introduce compulsory voting and penalise those who failed to exercise their franchise.

Compulsory voting worth a try in India, says NITI CEO

It is impossible to say that India witnessed seven per cent growth without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities, said&nbsp;Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog on Wednesday.&nbsp;

"It is absolutely impossible to say that seven per cent of growth happened without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities. If one looks at our analysis, the number of schemes launched, and keeping all the other factors in mind, there has been a continuous process of job creation," Kant told reporters.

"Our country`s ambition should be of achieving 10 per cent growth when we will reach this level we will be able to lift up a maximum number of people above the poverty line," he added.

The government`s focus was to improve the growth rate, he further said.&nbsp;

"If West Bengal and Karnataka say that jobs have been created in their respective states, then how it is possible that there is no employment generation?" Kant asked.&nbsp;

"I am not looking after the issue of jet airways so, I cannot comment on that," he said when asked about the recent Jet Airways crisis.

An SBI-led consortium has taken over the debt-ridden airlines after chairman and founder Naresh Goyal, stepped down from the Board on March 25.&nbsp;

Burdened with high operating costs and a huge debt, the airline has been facing the biggest crisis in its history.&nbsp;

It is impossible to say that India witnessed seven per cent growth without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities, said Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog on Wednesday.

It is impossible to say that India witnessed seven per cent growth without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities, said Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog on Wednesday. "It is absolutely impossible to say that seven per cent of growth happened without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities. If one looks at our analysis, the number of schemes launched, and keeping all the other factors in mind, there has been a continuous process of job creation," Kant told reporters. "Our country`s ambition should be of achieving 10 per cent growth when we will reach this level we will be able to lift up a maximum number of people above the poverty line," he added. The government`s focus was to improve the growth rate, he further said. "If West Bengal and Karnataka say that jobs have been created in their respective states, then how it is possible that there is no employment generation?" Kant asked. "I am not looking after the issue of jet airways so, I cannot comment on that," he said when asked about the recent Jet Airways crisis. An SBI-led consortium has taken over the debt-ridden airlines after chairman and founder Naresh Goyal, stepped down from the Board on March 25. Burdened with high operating costs and a huge debt, the airline has been facing the biggest crisis in its history.

7% growth rate impossible without creating jobs: NITI Aayog CEO

Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have told the Election Commission that he spoke against Congress's Nyay scheme as an economist and not as part of the policy body.

In his reply to a show-cause notice submitted on Tuesday, Kumar is also learnt to have said that he can speak out his mind as an economist on important issues concerning policy and economy.

He said that his remarks should not be construed as the stand of Niti Aayog.

On March 27, the poll panel had sought Kumar's response on his remarks in which he had attacked Congress over minimum income guarantee promise.

The EC had felt that since Kumar is a bureaucrat, his remarks were prima facie violative of the model code.

As he was abroad he had sought time till April 5 to respond. But the EC gave him time till April 2.

Kumar had accused the Congress of promising the moon to win elections. 
He had also tweeted, "The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test."

In another tweet, Kumar had claimed that "true to its past record of promising the moon to win elections, Congress President announces a scheme that will bust fiscal discipline, create strong incentives against work and which will never be implemented."

Kumar is reported to made similar remarks in an interview also.

At a press conference here on March 25, Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if his party comes to power.

Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have told the Election Commission that he spoke against Congress's Nyay scheme as an economist and not as part of the policy body.

Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have told the Election Commission that he spoke against Congress's Nyay scheme as an economist and not as part of the policy body. In his reply to a show-cause notice submitted on Tuesday, Kumar is also learnt to have said that he can speak out his mind as an economist on important issues concerning policy and economy. He said that his remarks should not be construed as the stand of Niti Aayog. On March 27, the poll panel had sought Kumar's response on his remarks in which he had attacked Congress over minimum income guarantee promise. The EC had felt that since Kumar is a bureaucrat, his remarks were prima facie violative of the model code. As he was abroad he had sought time till April 5 to respond. But the EC gave him time till April 2. Kumar had accused the Congress of promising the moon to win elections. He had also tweeted, "The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test." In another tweet, Kumar had claimed that "true to its past record of promising the moon to win elections, Congress President announces a scheme that will bust fiscal discipline, create strong incentives against work and which will never be implemented." Kumar is reported to made similar remarks in an interview also. At a press conference here on March 25, Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if his party comes to power.

I criticised NYAY scheme as an economist, not as part of Niti Aayog: Rajiv Kumar tells Election Commission

Former vice chairman of Niti Aayog Arvind Panagariya criticises Cong's NYAY

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions.

The Union Minority Affairs Minister's remarks came a day after Congress president Gandhi said his party would replace NITI Aayog with a "lean" Planning Commission.

The "shehzada" is speaking under the influence of his "arrogance of feudal mentality", Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Gandhi.

When the Congress was in power, "the anarchy and arrogance of the feudal family" was at its peak in "criminal misuse" of constitutional institutions and now in the Opposition, they are "threatening and defaming" these constitutional institutions, he alleged.

For the past five years, the Congress has tried to threaten and defame various constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission, the Central Vigilance Commission and now the NITI Aayog, he told reporters.

The "shehzada and shehzadi, when out power, are behaving like a fish out of water", he claimed.

"They think that power is their birthright, but the people of the country will teach them a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections," Naqvi said.&nbsp;

The Planning Commission, set up in 1950 under the Congress government, was replaced by the Niti Aayog by the Modi dispensation. The Congress is seeking to revert to the original structure of the government think tank.

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions.

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions. The Union Minority Affairs Minister's remarks came a day after Congress president Gandhi said his party would replace NITI Aayog with a "lean" Planning Commission. The "shehzada" is speaking under the influence of his "arrogance of feudal mentality", Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Gandhi. When the Congress was in power, "the anarchy and arrogance of the feudal family" was at its peak in "criminal misuse" of constitutional institutions and now in the Opposition, they are "threatening and defaming" these constitutional institutions, he alleged. For the past five years, the Congress has tried to threaten and defame various constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission, the Central Vigilance Commission and now the NITI Aayog, he told reporters. The "shehzada and shehzadi, when out power, are behaving like a fish out of water", he claimed. "They think that power is their birthright, but the people of the country will teach them a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections," Naqvi said. The Planning Commission, set up in 1950 under the Congress government, was replaced by the Niti Aayog by the Modi dispensation. The Congress is seeking to revert to the original structure of the government think tank.

Congress threatening constitutional institutions: Naqvi on Rahul's NITI Aayog remarks

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