5.58        ndian    onom
     (the document quotes the idea of ‘Antodaya’          structure of the niti
     as articulted by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay).
                                                          The Aayog will be a lean organisation, modelled as
     Development is incomplete and meaningless, if it
                                                          a network of expertise, focusing on functionality,
     does not reach the farthest individual. “Nothing
                                                          flexibility and domain knowledge, with the
     is more dreadfully painful than poverty” (the
                                                          following ‘structure’ and ‘mechnaism’:
     centuries old sage-poet Tiruvallur has been
     quoted).                                                  (i) Chairman: the Prime Minister of India
                                                                    (de-facto).
     Inclusion: To empower vulnerable and
     marginalised sections, redressing identity-based         (ii) Governing Council: will comprise the
     inequalities of all kinds—gender, region, religion,            Chief Ministers of all states and Lt.
     caste or class—the document quoted from Sankar                 Governors of union territories.
     Dev—“to see every being as equivalent to one’s          (iii) Regional Councils: will be formed to
     own soul is the supreme means (of attaining                    address specific issues and contingencies
     deliverance)”. Weaker sections must be enabled                 impacting more than one state or region.
     to be masters of their own fate, having equal                  Strategy and planning in the Aayog will be
     influence over the choices the nation makes.                   anchored from state-level; with regional
     Village: To integrate our villages into the                    councils convened by the Prime Minister
     development process, to draw on the vitality and               for identified priority domains, put under
     energy of the bedrock of our ethos, culture and                the joint leadership of related sub-groups
     sustenance.                                                    of states (grouped around commonalities
                                                                    which could be geographic, economic,
     Demographic Dividend: To harness our greatest
                                                                    social or otherwise) and central ministries.
     asset, the people of India, by focussing on their
                                                                    The regional councils will have the
     development, through education and skilling, and
                                                                    following features:
     their empowerment, through productive livelihood
     opportunities.                                                 (a) Will have specified tenures, with
                                                                         the mandate to evolve strategy and
     People’s Participation: To transform the
                                                                         oversee implementation.
     developmental process into a people-driven one,
     making an awakened and participative citizenry—                (b) Will be jointly headed by one of
     the driver of good governance. This includes                        the group Chief Ministers (on a
     our extended Indian family of the non-resident                      rotational basis or otherwise) and a
     Indian community spread across the world,                           corresponding Central Minister.
     whose significant geo-economic and geo-political               (c) Will include the sectoral central
     strength must be harnessed.                                         ministers and secretaries concerned, as
     Governance: To nurture an open, transparent,                        well as state ministers and secretaries.
     accountable, pro-active and purposeful style of                (d) Will be linked with corresponding
     governance, transitioning focus from Outlay to                      domain experts and academic
     Output to Outcome.                                                  institutions.
     Sustainability: Maintain sustainability at the                 (e) Will have a dedicated support cell in
     core of our planning and developmental process,                     the Aayog’s secretariat.
     building on our ancient tradition of respect for the     (iv) Special Invitees: It will have experts,
     environment.                                                   specialists and practitioners with relevant