NITI Aayog got a new Vice-Chairperson in May 2026. That’s a reminder that “who holds office” facts here go stale fast. This article covers NITI Aayog’s structure, and its Aspirational Districts and Blocks programmes.
Timeline
- 24 May 2025: PM Modi chairs NITI Aayog’s 10th Governing Council Meeting, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- October-December 2025: NITI Aayog releases its latest Delta Rankings for the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programmes.
- 28 January 2026: “Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0” launches — a 3-month campaign to saturate key development indicators.
- 8 May 2026: Ashok Lahiri becomes NITI Aayog’s 4th Vice-Chairperson, replacing Suman Bery.
Must Know
- NITI Aayog’s Governing Council includes the Prime Minister as Chairperson, every state’s Chief Minister, UT Lieutenant Governors, ex-officio members, the Vice-Chairperson, and full-time members.
- The Vice-Chairperson holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister and runs day-to-day operations. Ashok Lahiri took over on 8 May 2026, as the 4th person to hold the post.
- NITI Aayog’s CEO is a fixed-tenure appointee, holding the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
- The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) rank India’s most underdeveloped districts and blocks on development indicators.
Good to Know
- The 10th Governing Council Meeting was chaired by PM Modi on 24 May 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- The October-December 2025 Delta Rankings named Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh) India’s top Aspirational District, and Thonoknyu Block (Nagaland) the top Aspirational Block.
- Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0 ran from 28 January to 14 April 2026 — a push to saturate 5 key indicators in Aspirational Districts and 6 in Aspirational Blocks.
- NITI Aayog currently has four full-time members and four ex-officio Union Minister members, all nominated by the Prime Minister.
Test Yourself
Great to Know
- NITI Aayog’s Governing Council puts every Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor at the table. That’s a deliberate contrast to the old Planning Commission‘s more centralized model — built for “cooperative federalism,” even though final authority still sits with the Centre.
- The Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programmes work through ranking, not just funding. Public delta-rankings create competitive pressure between districts — a policy tool distinct from simply allocating money.
- The Vice-Chairperson change from Bery to Lahiri in May 2026 is a useful reminder. “Who currently holds office” answers in this space go stale fast — worth checking again before an exam, not just memorizing once.
- For NITI Aayog’s origin story and its Vision Document framework, see IndEco0073 — Planning for Development — India’s Vision Document.
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