NITI Aayog to Prepare 15-Year Vision Documents - Highlights

NITI Aayog has come forward with a draft 15-year vision plan to catapult the country's economy to more than three times as compared to the present day. The new plan is set to replace the centralised five-year plans the country has been following for decades. 
The new plan is accompanied by shorter sub-plans—a seven-year strategy for 2017-24, and a three-year 'Action Agenda' from 2017-18 to 2019-20. No less than 300 specific action points covering a wide range of sectors have been drawn up as part of the 15-year vision. 

The salient features of 15-year vision plan are : 

● India aims to more than triple the size of its economy in 15 years with gross domestic product (GDP) expected to rise to Rs. 469 lakh crores from Rs. 137 lakh crore in 2015-16. Per capita GDP is expected to rise by three times to Rs. 3,14, 667 in 2015-2016. 

● NITI Aayog plans to work closely with states to boost infrastructure and services, including regions that require special attention. The government made a big push for Goods and Services Tax (GST), urging the state governments to speed up the legislation of state GST bills. 

● The 15-year vision document has a seven-year strategy document for 2017-24 as the 'National Development Agenda'. Separately, a three-year 'Action Agenda' from 2017-18 to 2019-20 is also under works to assess funding requirements. The three-year agenda is further divided into seven parts, with a number of specific action points for each part to boost economic growth. 

● India's urban population is expected to increase by 22 crores by 2031. The plan is likely to lay emphasis on urban development, taking a note from China's elaborate long-term development agenda. 

● The plan includes the development of an NGO-focused portal NGO-Darpan portal. No grants to NGO will be allowed without a unique ID from the portal. 

● The plan envisages a central body for overseeing the implementation of sustainable development goals. Specific goals will cover clean water, removing hunger, climate efforts, responsible consumption, clean energy, quality education, reduced inequality and gender equality, among others. 

● The NITI Aayog will work as a "collaborative federal body whose strength is in its ideas, rather than in administrative or financial control." 

● States have been asked to switch the current financial year to January-December to better align it with the agriculture income reporting. 

● For improving larger economic management in the country, a thought has been forwarded to the states to further discuss and debate the possibility of holding simultaneous elections in the country.