Assess the role of NITI Aayog over the past decade in promoting cooperative and competitive federalism.

NITI Aayog was established in 2014, while displacing exclusive Planning Commission of India (National Institute for Transforming India). NITI Aayog successfully promoting cooperative and competitive federalism: (1) Participation of state in NITI Aayog council meetings leads to bottom-up planning thus promoting cooperative spirit. (2) NITI Aayog driven by Union of inclusive, deliberative policy making create plan which are localised in national (category statement, vision document). (3) Various indexes released by NITI Aayog

promotes competition among states (like Corporate Water Management Index, State Collective Equality Index). (4) Its innovative program like Aspirational District Program, Atal Innovation Mission have decentralised development and elevated competitive federalism. However NITI Aayog was criticised for not accommodating federal features: (1) NITI Aayog policies, statement were considered by some state as universal and 'one size fit all' without carrying out extensive local data analysis thus threatening cooperative federation. (2) Further it indexes have benefited more developed state, while ignoring poverty, unemployment in some northern states thus eroding competitive federalism. (3) Lack of voice and effective participation

and lack of power to allocate funds erodes its nature of working for cooperation and collaborative. (5) Despite its cooperative and competitive frame, its policies, orders are rejuvenatory in nature demoralising states to participate effectively. With increased implementation of its policies, giving more voice to state in NITI Aayog meetings and participation of expets, NITI Aayog can truly emerge as platform of cooperative and competitive federalism.