What is National Development Council?
The Prime Minister presides over the National Development Council (NDC), also known as the Rashtriya Vikas Parishad, which is India's apex body for development decision-making and deliberation.
It was established by Cabinet Secretariat Resolution in August 1952. It was intended to be a meeting place for India's Prime Minister and state Chief Ministers to deliberate and discuss plans and the planning process.
The NDC is comprised of all Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of all States, Administrators of Union Territories, and Members of the Planning Commission. Ministers of State with independent charge are also welcome to attend the council's meetings.
Objectives Of NDC
The NDC is focused on three primary goals.
Strengthen and mobilise the nation's effort and resources in support
Encourage the adoption of common economic policies in all critical sectors.
Ensure the balanced and rapid development of the country's various regions.
Functions Of NDC
It establishes guidelines for the formulation of the National Plan, including the assessment of available resources for the plan.
It takes the National Plan, as developed by the Planning Commission, into account.
It examines critical socioeconomic policy issues affecting national development.
It conducts periodic reviews of the plan's operation and recommends necessary measures for achieving the National Plan's objectives.
Relevance of NDC
The NDC was reduced to a small group of members with vested interests after the Nehru era ended. Chief Ministers from states led by parties other than the central party, on the whole, did not show up for these meetings. All of this harmed the spirit of cooperative federalism and undermined the NDC's mission.
The NDC and decentralised planning were not resurrected until the mid-1990s. During the era of economic reforms, increased reliance on private capital necessitated granting states greater economic autonomy.
Furthermore, the emergence of national coalition politics prompted the Central Government to favour the state in order to retain the support of its allies. As a result, the NDC's relevance has been questioned.
The National Development Council (NDC) has been proposed for abolition. However, no resolution to abolish it has been passed to date.