UPSC Prelims 2015 Question:

The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace the

Explanation:

• On the 13th of August, 2014, the 65- year-old Planning Commission was scrapped and replaced by a new body. Accordingly, on January 1, 2015, the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) was established as the successor to the Planning Commission.
  
  
• However the NITI Aayog, like that of the Planning Commission, was also created by an executive resolution of the Government of India (i.e., Union Cabinet). Hence, it is neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body. In other words, it is a non-constitutional or extra-constitutional body (i.e., not created by the Constitution) and a non-statutory body (not created by an Act of the Parliament).
  
  
• NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs. While designing strategic and long-term policies and programmes for the Government of India, NITI Aayog also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre and States.
  
  

Therefore, option (4) is the correct answer.  

Subject: Polity | Constitutional and Non-constitutional bodies