NITI Aayog revamp shows tilt towards science and health

The central government reconstituted NITI Aayog, replacing four of its five full-time members and appointing a new Vice-Chairperson. Ashok Kumar Lahiri, an e...

What Happened

The central government reconstituted NITI Aayog, replacing four of its five full-time members and appointing a new Vice-Chairperson.
Ashok Kumar Lahiri, an economist with experience at the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and the IMF, was appointed as the new Vice-Chairperson, succeeding Suman K. Bery.
Four new full-time members inducted: Gobardhan Das (Director, IISERBhopal; immunologist), Prof. Abhay Karandikar (Secretary, Department of Science and Technology), Dr. M. Srinivas (Director, AIIMS Delhi), and K.V. Raju (member of the Economic Advisory Council to the PM).
Former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba — the only existing member — was retained.
The reconstitution represents a significant departure from NITI Aayog's traditionally economist-dominated composition, with three of the five new members having backgrounds in science, biotechnology, and health.

Static Topic Bridges

NITI Aayog: Structure, Role, and Legal Status

NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) is the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India, established on January 1, 2015, to replace the Planning Commission (which had existed since 1950). It is an extra-constitutional, non-statutory body — meaning it was created by executive resolution of the Union Cabinet, not by an Act of Parliament.

Established: January 1, 2015 (by Cabinet Resolution, not by statute)
Chairperson: Prime Minister (ex officio)
Vice-Chairperson: Appointed by the Prime Minister, holds Cabinet Minister rank
CEO: Appointed by the PM, holds Secretary-level rank
Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states and Lt. Governors of Union Territories
No financial devolution powers unlike the erstwhile Planning Commission; functions purely in an advisory capacity

Connection to this news: The reconstitution changes who shapes India's policy thinking — by inducting scientists and health professionals, the NITI Aayog signals that technology-driven development, bioeconomy, and health infrastructure will receive sharper strategic focus.

From Planning Commission to NITI Aayog: A Paradigm Shift

The Planning Commission operated on a top-down, centralised model where the Centre allocated resources to states through Five Year Plans. NITI Aayog replaced this with a cooperative federalism model that treats states as equal partners in development. It does not control fund allocation (that role moved to the Finance Commission and the Finance Ministry) but instead provides strategic direction, policy research, and monitoring frameworks.

Planning Commission (1950–2014): Controlled Five Year Plans; allocated central assistance to states; advised on fiscal policy
NITI Aayog (2015–present): No allocation powers; focuses on advisory functions, fostering innovation, and cross-sectoral policy coordination
Key mechanisms: Aspirational Districts Programme, SDG India Index, State Innovation Ranking
The Five Year Plan system was formally discontinued in 2017

Connection to this news: The reconstitution builds on NITI Aayog's advisory function by strengthening its capacity in science and health — areas where inter-ministerial coordination and strategic guidance are increasingly important (e.g., bioeconomy policy, clinical trial reforms, deep-tech ecosystem building).

India's Science and Health Policy Landscape

India has been accelerating investments and institutional attention to science, technology, and health. Key policy anchors include the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF, established 2023 to fund research), National Health Policy 2017, and the Digital Health Mission. NITI Aayog itself has been a proponent of easing regulatory frameworks for R&D.

Department of Science and Technology (DST): Lead department for science policy, funding, and coordination; now represented on NITI Aayog by Abhay Karandikar
AIIMS Delhi: India's premier medical institution; its Director Dr. M. Srinivas' induction signals health policy focus at the apex advisory level
IISER Bhopal (directed by Gobardhan Das): Part of India's network of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, focused on frontier basic science

Connection to this news: The induction of the heads of DST, AIIMS Delhi, and an IISER directly reflects the government's intent to use NITI Aayog as a bridge between frontier research institutions and national policy formulation.

Key Facts & Data

NITI Aayog established: January 1, 2015 (replaced Planning Commission, est. 1950)
Legal basis: Executive Cabinet Resolution — no parent statute
New Vice-Chairperson: Ashok Kumar Lahiri (Economist; former ADB, World Bank, IMF)
New full-time members: Gobardhan Das, Abhay Karandikar, Dr. M. Srinivas, K.V. Raju
Retained member: Rajiv Gauba (former Cabinet Secretary)
Replaced members: VK Saraswat, Ramesh Chand, VK Paul, Arvind Virmani
Three of the five new members have primary backgrounds in science, biotechnology, or health
NITI Aayog's initiative to improve "Ease of Doing Research and Development in India" is a recent focus area aligned with this reconstitution
India's Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is the apex body for research funding, established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023