PM Modi to chair Niti Governing Council meeting in May

New Delhi: Niti Aayog will hold the 10th meeting of its governing council under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month, people aware of the development told ET.

The council, the apex body of the Aayog, includes all state chief ministers, lieutenant governors of union territories, special invitees, and several union ministers as well as members and top officials of the Aayog. The last meeting of the council was held in July 2024.

While the agenda of the meeting is being firmed up, it is anticipated that the council will focus on promoting entrepreneurship, employment and skilling to leverage the country's demographic dividend.

The Centre had in 2024 announced the employment-linked incentive scheme including the upgradation of industrial training institutes (ITIs) with focus on employment generation and skilling. At the meeting, states will be nudged to take up implementation of these schemes while focusing on enhancing ease of doing business, people cited above said.

The idea is to help India transition from a middle-income country to a high-income country with focus on women-led development.

Emphasis could be laid on reforming the governance model in states to encourage citizen participation with focus on reforms and transformation for inclusive and sustainable growth, sources said.

Besides, the Centre may urge states to form Aayog-like institutions at the state level to help develop and align their growth agenda with the vision for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.