Abolishing India's Planning Commission: The Results After Five Years

Like other countries, India wrestles with the question of how to plan for the long-term in a society where political and economic power is widely diffused. In 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi abolished the Planning Commission and established a new body, NITI Aayog. Political and economic developments had been working against the Planning Commission for decades. Critics have disparaged NITI Aayog as an ineffective body that is too dependent on the Prime Minister. Some have called for a revived planning body with more independence and power, and some have looked to China for a model. India cannot adopt the Chinese approach. But there may be a case for a body stronger and more autonomous than NITI Aayog, that can serve as a voice for the country's long-term needs.