Niti Aayog calls for review of RTE Act
The Niti Aayog has called for a review of the provisions of the Right To Education Act that stipulate that children who don’t perform well cannot be held back up to class VIII. It said the good intent......
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Niti-Aayog-calls-for-review-of-RTE-Act/article17029895.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/niti-aayog-turns-a-deaf-ear-to-rss-arm-bats-for-gm-crop/articleshow/56487397.cms
NEW DELHI: Niti Aayog has strongly advocated wider use of genetically modified (GM) seed varieties to revive agriculture growth in the country. The assertion came even after RSS's economic wing — Swadeshi Jagran Manch — questioned the role and two-year contribution of Niti Aayog and raised serious questions about the think tank supporting use of GM seeds.
Arguing that the key to green revolution was highyielding crops, the government's think tank said, "It is time for us to return to allow massive research into improving seed varieties including genetically modified one." In an appraisal document of 12th Five Year Plan, the Aayog said, "Elsewhere in the world, most notably the United States, GMO seeds have been in use for over two decades with no adverse effect on either crops or those consuming the product of those seeds." "China has been far ahead of us in this regard. Our own experience with BT Cotton has been a success," it said.
In the paper, the Aayog outlined several policy interventions to bring back agriculture to a higher growth trajectory, which included need to shift towards high-value commodities such as horticulture, fisheries and livestock, reforming land-leasing laws and reforming the agriculture produce marketing committees (APMCs).
The review of the 12th Plan period (2012-17) is not of much use for the economy as the government has decided to come out with a new 15-year vision document and three-year action plan that is being prepared by Niti Aayog.
In two months, the Aayog will come out with a three-year action plan with a view to accelerate economic growth and make it more inclusive by focusing on the health sector. The action plan will also take into account the impact of demonetisation on the economy, especially on the informal sector. The action plan will also have forecast for revenue projection and suggested expenditure for broad heads of development.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/niti-aayog-set-to-redraw-the-poverty-line/articleshow/56507951.cms
NEW DELHI: Niti Aayog, the government’s premier think-tank, has finally decided that the country needs a freshly defined poverty line to help track the success and outreach of its poverty alleviation measures after a year-long deliberation of the task force on poverty failed to arrive at any other acceptable measure.
“We will soon set up an expert committee to narrowly look at the poverty line issue only, as most states are politically not in sync with each other,” a senior government official said.
According to the official, the government has yet not finalised the constitution of the committee, but as and when it is formed, its sole responsibility will be to arrive at the number of poor in the country.
The task force on poverty, set up in 2015 under the chairmanship of Niti Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya, did not have a clear mandate to define poverty line after the earlier recommendations on poverty during the UPA time had drawn lot of flak.
However, the task force made some suggestions for the purpose of using the number to assess the success of poverty related social sector programmes including defining the lower 40 per cent of the country’s population as poor.
The shift in strategy of the Aayog comes after majority of states refused to agree on a cut-off line for poverty saying the numbers are not in sync with the actual numbers on ground and would therefore be not useful to assess the progress of government’s poverty elimination schemes.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/niti-aayog-demands-three-time-hike-in-social-sector-spending-cut-in-subsidies/articleshow/56485984.cms
NEW DELHI: Niti Aayog has sought up to three times increase in social sector spending, partially by cutting down on the mega subsidies that the government doles out every year as well as diverting the extra revenue earned over the next three years to sectors such as health and education.
The Aayog has made this recommendation in a three-year action plan that it will unveil after the Union budget for 2017-18 is presented, a senior government official told ET, saying the think tank will make revenue and expenditure projections for key sectors.
"Public expenditure on health in India is significantly on the lower side. So the action plan will have some forecast of the tax revenues as well as some sort of road map for expenditure based on the budget estimates of 2017-18 for key sectors — health, education and railways," the official said, requesting anonymity.
The Aayog has already made a presentation to the Prime Minister and senior finance ministry officials on its broad approach to the action plan, which is expected to lay down the roadmap for the BJP-led NDA government for policy interventions in the future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of NITI Aayog, which did not just replace the erstwhilePlanning Commission but also did away with the traditional five-year plans and will soon come out with a long-term vision document for the country.
Another senior government official aware of the proposal said the institution has suggested a threefold jump in health outlay from over Rs 30,000 crore now to Rs 1 lakh crore in the next three years. "This cutdown on subsidies and subsequent increase in allocation to socials sectors may not be reflective in the first year of the action plan partially because key states are undergoing elections at the time of Budget, but going forward the government will have to streamline expenditure to important sectors for sustained economic growth in the country," the second official said.
The road map laid out through the action plan is in sync with the existing strategy, as part of which the government is lowering its overallsubsidy bill and making all efforts to raise revenue collection so that the extra funds could be diverted to important sectors with marginal increase in overall expenditure. Union budget 2016-17 lowered the subsidies on food, fertiliser and petroleum by more than 4 per cent to nearly Rs 2.31 lakh crore, down from Rs 2.41 lakh crore for 2015-16.
The Aayog has made this recommendation in a three-year action plan that it will unveil after the Union budget for 2017-18 is presented, a senior government official told ET, saying the think tank will make revenue and expenditure projections for key sectors.
"Public expenditure on health in India is significantly on the lower side. So the action plan will have some forecast of the tax revenues as well as some sort of road map for expenditure based on the budget estimates of 2017-18 for key sectors — health, education and railways," the official said, requesting anonymity.
The Aayog has already made a presentation to the Prime Minister and senior finance ministry officials on its broad approach to the action plan, which is expected to lay down the roadmap for the BJP-led NDA government for policy interventions in the future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of NITI Aayog, which did not just replace the erstwhilePlanning Commission but also did away with the traditional five-year plans and will soon come out with a long-term vision document for the country.
Another senior government official aware of the proposal said the institution has suggested a threefold jump in health outlay from over Rs 30,000 crore now to Rs 1 lakh crore in the next three years. "This cutdown on subsidies and subsequent increase in allocation to socials sectors may not be reflective in the first year of the action plan partially because key states are undergoing elections at the time of Budget, but going forward the government will have to streamline expenditure to important sectors for sustained economic growth in the country," the second official said.
The road map laid out through the action plan is in sync with the existing strategy, as part of which the government is lowering its overallsubsidy bill and making all efforts to raise revenue collection so that the extra funds could be diverted to important sectors with marginal increase in overall expenditure. Union budget 2016-17 lowered the subsidies on food, fertiliser and petroleum by more than 4 per cent to nearly Rs 2.31 lakh crore, down from Rs 2.41 lakh crore for 2015-16.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/niti-aayog-outlines-key-policy-interventions-needed-in-different-sectors/articleshow/56479341.cms
NITI Aayog, government’s premier think-tank, has outlined key policy interventions needed in agriculture, manufacturing, employment generation and poverty elimination areas along with financial sector reforms in its review of the 12th Five Year Plan.
Government sources told ET that the Aayog has vouched for wider use of genetically modified seed varieties to revive agriculture growth in the country, besides focusing on creating a conducive environment to promote manufacturing in labour-intensive sectors, simplifying labour laws and clearly spelling out tax laws in the country so as to help India improve on the ease of doing business index.
“It is time for us to return to allow massive research into improving seed varieties including genetically modified one,” the Aayog has said in its review paper while outlining at least half-a-dozen policy interventions that could bring back agriculture to a higher growth tarjectory.
Pointing out that a key lacuna in the Indian growth story has been slow growth of manufacturers in general and labour intensive manufacturing in particular, the Aayog is of the view that from the perspective of good jobs there is acute need to jumpstart manufacturing production.
“Manufacturing growth in labour intensive sectors would help create good jobs for workers with limited skills thereby allowing workers in agriculture and informal sector manufacturing and services to migrate to the formal sector,” the Aayog has said.
Recognizing that tax uncertainity has served as another important brake on the growth of manufacturers, the Aayog said that much more is needed in terms of spelling out clearly tax laws so that future investors can assess their tax liabilities with reasonable certainity. “Simplification of tax code will certainly help but given the current complexity it is important to spell out clearly the regulations thereby minimizing discretion on the part of tax officials,” the review paper added.
The review of the 12th Plan period (2012-17) is not of much use for the economy in the wake of a new 15-year vision document currently under preparation at NITI Aayog. The 12th Plan ends on March 31, 2017 and the document should have been out much earlier as it was expected to lay out a roadmap for the government.
However, the official release of the document was withheld after the government decided to scap the five year plans and instead come out with a three-year action plan, a seven year strategy paper and a 15-year vision document.
Government sources told ET that the Aayog has vouched for wider use of genetically modified seed varieties to revive agriculture growth in the country, besides focusing on creating a conducive environment to promote manufacturing in labour-intensive sectors, simplifying labour laws and clearly spelling out tax laws in the country so as to help India improve on the ease of doing business index.
“It is time for us to return to allow massive research into improving seed varieties including genetically modified one,” the Aayog has said in its review paper while outlining at least half-a-dozen policy interventions that could bring back agriculture to a higher growth tarjectory.
Pointing out that a key lacuna in the Indian growth story has been slow growth of manufacturers in general and labour intensive manufacturing in particular, the Aayog is of the view that from the perspective of good jobs there is acute need to jumpstart manufacturing production.
“Manufacturing growth in labour intensive sectors would help create good jobs for workers with limited skills thereby allowing workers in agriculture and informal sector manufacturing and services to migrate to the formal sector,” the Aayog has said.
Recognizing that tax uncertainity has served as another important brake on the growth of manufacturers, the Aayog said that much more is needed in terms of spelling out clearly tax laws so that future investors can assess their tax liabilities with reasonable certainity. “Simplification of tax code will certainly help but given the current complexity it is important to spell out clearly the regulations thereby minimizing discretion on the part of tax officials,” the review paper added.
The review of the 12th Plan period (2012-17) is not of much use for the economy in the wake of a new 15-year vision document currently under preparation at NITI Aayog. The 12th Plan ends on March 31, 2017 and the document should have been out much earlier as it was expected to lay out a roadmap for the government.
However, the official release of the document was withheld after the government decided to scap the five year plans and instead come out with a three-year action plan, a seven year strategy paper and a 15-year vision document.
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