Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding the Governing Council of NITI Aayog ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

The question asks to identify the *incorrect* statement regarding the Governing Council of NITI Aayog. The statement in Option 2, "So far six meetings of the Governing Council have been held and the latest meeting was held in 2021," is factually inaccurate, making it the correct answer to the question. The NITI Aayog Governing Council, which serves as the core platform for cooperative federalism in India, meets periodically to discuss inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues to accelerate the implementation of the National Development Agenda. However, the number of meetings held extends beyond six, and the latest meeting was not held in 2021. For instance, the **Seventh** Governing Council Meeting was held on August 7, 2022, and the **Eighth** Governing Council Meeting was held on May 27, 2023, well after the specified date and number in the option. Since the statement presents outdated and incorrect figures regarding the crucial meetings of the council, it stands as the incorrect fact among the given options.

The incorrect option is 1:

The statement in Option 1 is: "The Governing Council of NITI Aayog comprises Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories with legislatures and Lt. Governors of other UTs under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister." This statement is accurate. The Governing Council is indeed chaired by the Prime Minister and includes the Chief Ministers of all States, Chief Ministers of Union Territories (UTs) with a legislature (like Delhi and Puducherry), and Lieutenant Governors of other UTs. This composition is fundamental to NITI Aayog's mandate of fostering "Team India" through Cooperative Federalism, ensuring that state-level perspectives are directly integrated into the national policy-making process. Since this description correctly outlines the composition of the Governing Council, it is a correct statement and therefore an incorrect choice for a question asking for the incorrect statement.

The incorrect option is 3:

The statement in Option 3 is: "The Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies with the active involvement of states." This definition perfectly captures the central role and purpose of the Governing Council. The establishment of NITI Aayog itself was based on the goal of decentralizing planning and involving states actively in the formation of national strategies and priorities. The Governing Council, by bringing together the nation's political leadership, fulfills this objective, acting as the highest consultative forum for developing a shared vision for national development. Because this statement correctly describes the institutional function of the Governing Council, it is factually correct and not the answer to the question.

The incorrect option is 4:

The statement in Option 4 is: "It has been reconstituted in 2021 by the Cabinet Secretariat." NITI Aayog's Governing Council, being a non-statutory body set up by an executive resolution, undergoes periodic reconstitution, typically following significant government changes or to update its composition. Following the policy changes in Jammu and Kashmir and other administrative adjustments, the Governing Council was indeed reconstituted in February 2021 by an order from the Cabinet Secretariat. This reconstitution included accommodating the administrative changes related to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Thus, the statement regarding the reconstitution in 2021 is a matter of record and is factually correct, making it an incorrect choice for the question asking for the incorrect statement.