CURRENT AFFAIRS | 26 APRIL 2026
CLAT GK + Polity & Cooperative Federalism
On 25 April 2026, the Union Government reconstituted NITI Aayog with economist Dr Ashok Lahiri as its new Vice Chairperson, replacing Suman Bery. Lahiri — former Chief Economic Adviser (Oct 2002 – Jun 2007), member of the 15th Finance Commission, sitting BJP MLA from Balurghat (West Bengal) and non-executive chairman of Bandhan Bank — brings a rare blend of academic, federal-finance and political experience. The reconstitution also names Rajiv Gauba, K V Raju, Gobardhan Das, Abhay Karandikar and M Srinivas as full-time members. NITI Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015, remains a Cabinet-Resolution body — neither statutory nor constitutional — anchoring the Centre’s cooperative + competitive federalism push.
Constitutional / Legal Framework
- NITI Aayog — established by Union Cabinet Resolution dated 1 January 2015; replaced the Planning Commission (set up by a 1950 Cabinet Resolution).
- Status — neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body; a think-tank/advisory body created by executive resolution.
- Article 282 — discretionary spending power; Centre/States may make grants for any public purpose. NITI Aayog channels indicative (not allocative) advice; actual transfers run via Finance Commission (Article 280) + Article 282 grants.
- Composition — Chairperson: Prime Minister; Vice Chairperson; full-time + part-time members; 4 ex-officio Cabinet Ministers; CEO; special invitees.
- Governing Council — Chief Ministers of all States + Lieutenant Governors of UTs with legislatures + Administrators of UTs without legislatures; chaired by the PM.
- Regional Councils — convened by PM for inter-State issues; State CMs of the region.
- Aspirational Districts Programme (2018) — 112 districts identified on composite indicators of health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, basic infrastructure.
- NITI Frontier Tech Hub (FTH) — focuses on AI, blockchain, quantum, biotech; complements India AI Mission.
- Difference from Planning Commission — Planning Commission was allocative (decided plan transfers); NITI Aayog is indicative + advisory; bottom-up not top-down.
Why This Matters for CLAT 2027
A polity favourite. Expect direct factual MCQs (“Who chairs the Governing Council?” / “Which Article underpins NITI’s grant flow?”) and Legal Reasoning passages on cooperative federalism vs the Sarkaria/Punchhi recommendations. Sharpen the contrast between Article 280 (Finance Commission — constitutional, 5-year, divisible pool) and Article 282 (discretionary grants — NITI/Ministry route). Lahiri’s 15th Finance Commission stint is a CLAT GK link: remember the Commission’s 41% vertical devolution recommendation and the horizontal formula (income distance 45%, demographic 12.5%, area 15%, population 2011 15%, forest & ecology 10%, tax & fiscal effort 2.5%).
Key Facts at a Glance
| Date of reconstitution | 25 April 2026 |
| New Vice Chairperson | Dr Ashok Lahiri |
| Outgoing VC | Suman Bery |
| Lahiri — past role | CEA, GoI (Oct 2002 – Jun 2007); 15th FC member |
| Lahiri — current | BJP MLA, Balurghat (WB); chairman, Bandhan Bank |
| Full-time members | Rajiv Gauba, K V Raju, Gobardhan Das, Abhay Karandikar, M Srinivas |
| NITI Aayog established | 1 January 2015 (Cabinet Resolution) |
| Replaced | Planning Commission (1950) |
| Status | Non-statutory, non-constitutional advisory body |
| Chairperson | Prime Minister (ex-officio) |
Mnemonic / Memory Hook
“PIG-CAR” — NITI’s six pillars: Plan-from-below, Indicative (not allocative), Governing Council (all CMs/LGs), Cooperative + Competitive federalism, Aspirational Districts (112), Resolution-based (not statutory). For Articles, recall “280-282”: 280 is Finance Commission (binding-ish, 5-year), 282 is the discretionary grant tap NITI works through.
Test Yourself — 10 MCQs
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
