Niti Aayog Meeting Today Live Updates: PM Modi emphasised need to boost investments, increase exports and harness Jal Shakti

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday made a pitch for setting up a Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) on the lines of the NITI Aayog, which serves as a public policy think-tank for the central government. Speaking at the governing council meeting here of the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by chief ministers of various states, Patel also said that Gujarat was committed to realising the prime minister's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047.

Patel also introduced the 'Gujarat@2047 Dynamic Document-Roadmap' for realising the goal of 'Viksit Gujarat' for a 'Viksit Bharat'.

The roadmap is built on the two pillars of 'Earning Well' and 'Living Well,' and aims to enhance people's quality of life and bring economic prosperity, Patel said.

In the NITI Aayog, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami requested to make specific policies for the Himalayan states. CM requested to allow the states to approve and implement hydropower projects of less than 25 MW capacity to meet the energy shortage. CM Dhami also requested to implement the proposal of 24% capital subsidy for the construction of small hydropower projects in Himalayan states along with the North-Eastern states. CM also requested to include lift irrigation in the guidelines of 'PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana': CMO

As many as 10 states and UTs did not participate in the ninth Governing Council meeting of the Niti Aayog which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said on Saturday. The meeting was attended by 26 participants including Chief Ministers and Lieutenant governors of UTs, he said while briefing the media.

The absentees were Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Puducherry, he said adding "It is their loss if they did not participate."

Regarding West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who walked out of the meeting, Subrahmanyam said her request to speak before lunch was accepted although her turn would have come in the afternoon going in the alphabetical order of the states.

On West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's allegation and Opposition's boycott from the Niti Aayog meeting, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said "They do not want development, they do not want the country to progress. They just want to do politics and defame the country's name in foreign countries. The opposition united to defeat PM Modi in the Lok Sabha but the people of the country supported him and became the Prime Minister again..."

NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam says, "We had a lot of last-minute dropouts, I have speeches of some states who had not participated- Jharkhand and Puducherry. Not all have dropped out for boycott reasons. For those who did not participate, I always say that it is their loss. The room is richer if they are there both for us and for them. Nobody is going to be excluded if they are not going to participate..."

Recalling PM Modi's statement that India can achieve its dream when the states become developed, CEO BVR Subramanyam said that the prime minister wanted districts to become drivers of growth. PM Modi said, "We can fulfill our dreams of Viksit Bharat in 2047 with the combined effort of all States. The Viksit States will make Viksit Bharat"

Niti Aayog CEO Subramanyam said that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee requested to speak early before lunch and "it was accepted". The CM claimed that she was unfairly stopped midway in her speech, despite being the sole representative of the opposition. He said, "Normally we would have gone alphabetically. So it begins with Andhra Pradesh, then Arunachal Pradesh...We actually adjusted and the Defence Minister actually called her in just before Gujarat. So she made her statement. Every chief minister is allotted seven minutes and there's just a clock on top of the screen which tells you the time that is remaining. So it goes from seven to six to five to four to three. At the end of that, it shows zero. Zero. Nothing else. Nothing else has happened other than that..."

He further said that the chief minister said that she wanted to speak for more time, but will not speak anymore. That was it. There was nothing more.

" She made her points and we respectfully heard and noted points, which will be reflected in a minute...Just to mention the fact the chief secretary continued to attend and he was in the room even after she left because she had to catch a flight to Calcutta..." he added.

Vishnu Deo Sai, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, advocated for the promotion of skill-based education, natural dispensaries, and artificial intelligence in his state during the Governing Council meeting of the Niti Aayog on Saturday.

Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meeting saw Sai pledging his state's complete support in achieving the objective of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. The Chief Minister highlighted various priorities and initiatives being undertaken for Chhattisgarh's progress, focusing on education, human resource development, health, and technological advancement.

Sai expressed confidence in Chhattisgarh's ability to play a crucial role in the "Developed India by 2047" vision. He mentioned that the state's current GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) stands at Rs 5.05 lakh crore, with a target to double it to Rs 10 lakh crore within the next five years. The state has already initiated efforts to explore possibilities for improvement and goal achievement across various sectors.

Recognizing the importance of youth in the state's development, the Chief Minister emphasized that Chhattisgarh's primary focus lies in nurturing skilled human resources. By prioritizing skill-based education, the state aims to equip its young population with the necessary tools and knowledge to contribute effectively to the state's growth and progress.

Calling Niti Aayog a "failure," Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha criticised the nodal agency on Saturday and said that till now it has achieved nothing.

"What is NITI Aayog? It is a body that was formed for a particular academic exercise. What is achieved from it? Absolutely nothing" said Manoj Jha while speaking to ANI."NITI Aayog is a failure, a failed idea.

The 240 mandate of the BJP also has the same message: that the collective should be restored," he added.

D Raja, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), expressed concerns regarding the role and recommendations of NITI Aayog on Saturday. He questioned the decision to disband the Planning Commission when the BJP came to power and replace it with NITI Aayog.

Raja asked, "First of all, the Prime Minister should explain why the Planning Commission was disbanded. When the BJP came to power, the first thing they did was to disband the Planning Commission. They formed the Niti Aayog. What is the work of the Niti Aayog? What policies are they going to decide? What recommendations are they going to make to the government?"

The CPI leader claimed that NITI Aayog has proposed the privatization of all public sectors, raising doubts about the think tank's objectives and its impact on the country's economic policies.

"We are moving in the right direction. We have defeated once in a hundred years of pandemic. Our people are full of enthusiasm and confidence. We can fulfill our dreams of Viksit Bharat in 2047 with the combined effort of all States. The Viksit States will make Viksit Bharat": Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog.

This decade is of changes, technological & geo-political, and also of opportunities. India should grab these opportunities and make our policies conducive for international investments. This is the stepping stone for progress to make India a developed nation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 9th Governing Council Meeting of Niti Aayog.

On West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's allegations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "CM Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every CM was given the allotted time and that was displayed on the screen which was present before every table...She said in the media that her mic was put off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak...It's unfortunate that the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her mic was switched off which is not true...She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood."

Viksit Bharat @ 2047 is ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role to achieve this aim as they are directly connected with the people: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 9th Governing Council Meeting of Niti Aayog. The Governing Council Meeting is being attended by Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors.

On West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's allegations, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, "I have not seen what has happened in the (NITI Aayog) meeting. I can only say this so-called INDI alliance is not at all an alliance because Mamata did not give a single seat to Congress in West Bengal. They are not able to digest the mandate of the people, they are crying foul."

On Congress and opposition CMs boycotting Niti Aayog meeting chaired by PM Modi, Union MoS L Murugan says, "MK Stalin always gives false hope to the people of Tamil Nadu. He is always confused and he wants to create a political drama in the name of NEET...MK Stalin is boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting, and this is a total failure of democracy..."

On Congress and opposition CMs boycotting Niti Aayog meeting chaired by PM Modi, CPI General Secretary D Raja says, "First of all, the Prime Minister should explain why the Planning Commission was disbanded. When the BJP came to power, the first thing they did was to disband the Planning Commission. They formed the Niti Aayog. What is the work of the Niti Aayog? What policies are they going to decide? What recommendations are they going to make to the government? As far as I know, the Niti Aayog is proposing privatisation of all public sectors. That is why many CMs have raised genuine issues..."

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, "...I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government. Only I am there from the opposition and you are stopping me from speaking...This is not only the insult of Bengal but also of all regional parties..."

On Niti Aayog meeting in Delhi, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, "...I said you (central government) should not discriminate against state governments. I wanted to speak but I was allowed to speak only for 5 minutes. People before me spoke for 10-20 minutes. I was the only one from the opposition who was participating but still, I was not allowed to speak. This is insulting..."

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will not be present at the Niti Aayog meeting scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Saturday, as confirmed by officials. In his absence, the state will be represented by Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, the deputy chief ministers. The specific reason for Kumar's non-attendance at this important meeting remains unknown at this time.

Neeraj Kumar, a spokesperson for the JD(U), informed PTI that "This is not the first time that the CM is not attending the Nitish Ayog meeting. The CM did not attend the meeting earlier as well, and Bihar was represented by the then deputy CM. This time also both the Dy CMs went to attend the meeting."

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Saturday provided an explanation for his absence from the Niti Aayog meeting organised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that he was "compelled" to pursue justice due to the "discriminatory attitude" towards Tamil Nadu evident in the budget.

Furthermore, Stalin, who has led the opposition's boycott, intensified his criticism on Saturday, labeling the budget presented by the Modi 3.0 government as an act of "revenge" against the INDIA bloc and the nation as a whole. He asserted that the BJP's repeated "mistake after mistake" will result in further electoral setbacks for the party.

On NITI Aayog meeting, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, "CMs of INDIA alliance will not go to NITI Aayog meeting. It is almost decided. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had earlier said he would not go, Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, Telangana CM and there are other CMs who do not want to go because NITI Aayog is not keeping pace with the country's development, you must have seen this in the budget and NITI Aayog's work..."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of using it as a tool for "revenge" against the states and people who rejected the party in recent parliamentary elections. He argued that the budget, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, appears to be a retaliatory measure against those who supported the INDIA bloc, rather than a plan for the welfare of all Indians.

Stalin justified his decision to skip the Niti Aayog meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the "discriminatory attitude" towards Tamil Nadu evident in the budget. He pointed out that the state's requests for disaster relief amounting to Rs 37,000 crore and funding for the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail were ignored.

Furthermore, Stalin alleged that the BJP government operates with a "political motive," continuously disregarding Tamil Nadu. He claimed that the Centre has withheld funds that should have been routinely released for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, insisting that they will only be disbursed if the state agrees to implement the National Education Policy (NEP).

The Chief Minister warned that the BJP, which he believes is committing "mistake after mistake," will face further electoral setbacks in the future. He expressed his compulsion to speak out in the public forum to seek justice for Tamil Nadu in light of the central government's actions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 9th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog on today. The meeting, will be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre.

PM Modi is set to chair governing council meeting of NITI Aayog today.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrives at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi where the meeting of NITI Aayog will be held shortly.

PM Modi will chair the governing council meeting of Niti Aayog today

“This is not only irresponsible but the opposition’s behaviour is undemocratic. For the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), ‘desh’ comes first. For INDI alliance, ‘dwesh’ comes first,” says BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan on opposition boycotting NITI Aayog meeting, scheduled to be held in Delhi later today.

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav arrives at Madhya Pradesh Bhawan, New Delhi. He will attend the Niti Aayog meeting today.

On boycotting the Niti Aayog meeting today, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin says, "The budget presented by the Union finance minister seems like a vengeful act against the states and people who boycotted the BJP. She has prepared a budget to take revenge against those who voted for the INDIA bloc. The union BJP govt is disregarding Tamil Nadu continuously"

The Punjab government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, has made the decision that chief minister Bhagwant Mann will not participate in the upcoming Niti Aayog meeting, which will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. This choice was made to show support for the INDIA bloc, following allegations from opposition parties that the Union Budget, presented on July 23, was "discriminatory" and did not provide sufficient funds for states governed by non-NDA parties.

AAP Punjab declared that chief minister Bhagwant Mann will not attend the Niti Aayog meeting on July 27, effectively boycotting the event. This decision was driven by claims of biased treatment in the budget towards states ruled by the INDIA bloc. Apart from West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, other chief ministers from the INDIA bloc have also chosen to boycott the meeting.

The initial announcement of the boycott came from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai. Subsequently, the Congress party declared that its chief ministers, including Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, Siddaramaiah of Karnataka, and Revanth Reddy of Telangana, would also not attend the meeting.

In addition to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan are also anticipated to be absent from the meeting.

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, said on Friday that she will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi "to scrap the Niti Ayog and restore the Planning Commission" during the Niti Ayog governing council meeting scheduled for Saturday. Banerjee believes that the original version of the public policy think tank was an "effective platform and Niti Ayog is a powerless body, meant only for speeches."

Upon arriving in the city for the meeting, Banerjee stated that she will voice concerns not only for her own state but also for the states governed by the INDIA bloc parties, who have chosen to boycott the Niti Ayog meeting. She expressed this intention while addressing the media.

The TMC chief acknowledged that the boycott of the Niti Ayog meeting "could have been better coordinated" if all parties had collectively decided to skip the meeting. "Possibly because it was a late decision after the budget was presented, each state reacted on their own," she added, when questioned about her decision to attend the meeting despite the boycott by other parties.

Banerjee strongly criticized the Narendra Modi government, saying that "Bengal and all the opposition-ruled states have been discriminated against by the Centre, as is reflected in the Union budget. That is why most states decided to boycott the meeting." She highlighted the perceived unfair treatment of opposition-led states by the central government.

Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to boycott the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27 in Delhi alleging neglect by the central government towards the state's rights and the lack of release of due funds. The decision was confirmed by officials on Friday, following Reddy's statements in the Legislative Assembly on July 24 during discussions on a resolution highlighting the central government's discrimination against Telangana in the Union Budget.

Reddy said, "The Prime Minister is the chairman of NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog meeting would be held on (July) 27th under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. As Chief Minister of Telangana, (I am) boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting for hurting Telangana's rights, not releasing the funds due to Telangana and for not giving the permissions due to be given to Telangana."

The boycott is part of a broader protest by the state government, which aims to secure a statement from Prime Minister Modi during the Parliament session regarding the assurances made to Telangana under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The Chief Minister is hopeful that these assurances and requests will result in budget amendments that will benefit the state.

The 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is set to take place today, Saturday, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. The meeting's central theme, 'Viksit Bharat@2047', focuses on transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. Discussions will revolve around the Approach Paper for the Vision Document on this ambitious goal.

The meeting aims to strengthen the delivery mechanisms of government interventions and enhance the quality of life for both rural and urban populations through participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and state governments. Detailed deliberations will be held on the role of states in achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047.

As India is on track to become the world's third-largest economy, with aspirations to reach a $30 trillion economy by 2047, a collaborative approach between the Centre and State governments is crucial. The 9th Governing Council Meeting seeks to create a roadmap for realizing this vision.

The governing council will also focus on the recommendations of the 3rd national conference of chief secretaries, held from December 27-29, 2023. Special sessions were conducted during the conference to discuss cyber security, the aspirational districts and blocks programme, the role of states, and the use of AI in governance.

In preparation for the 9th Governing Council meeting, extensive discussions on key themes took place during the 3rd chief secretaries conference at the end of December 2023.