The Governing Council of Niti Aayog will meet on Sunday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliberate on crop diversification, self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses production, digital agriculture, urban governance and implementation of the National Education Policy.

The Council will finalise a roadmap and an outcome-oriented action plan on the issues which were chalked out during the national conference of chief secretaries, held in Dharamshala in June.

Atmanirbhar Krishi

The agenda will focus on rolling out a strategy on Atmanirbhar Krishi where the focus will be on meeting self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses, sources said. The Council may deliberate on the report of a committee on crop diversification, headed by Punjab Chief Secretary and is also likely to consider the report of two other panels, one headed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary on pulses and another by Gujarat Chief Secretary on oilseeds, sources said.

The long-pending National Mission on Oilseeds may be approved at the Council while its budget and other details, to be worked out later by Agriculture Ministry, may be announced by Modi during his Independence Day address, sources said.

Among other items on the agenda, the Council will take stock of the digitisation of land records which will form the backbone of the government scheme in delivering benefits to the farmers, the sources said. The Centre has been working on integrating different data sources – PM-Kisan, PM-Fasal Bima, Kisan Credit Cards, etc. for weeding out ineligible beneficiaries and inclusion of deserving people in various welfare schemes.

Implementation of NEP

Also on the cards will be discussion on implementation of National Education Policy in which teacher’s role in school education has be defined more as a transformer to build the foundation among children making them ready for future. Finance in municipalities/corporations is a big concern as States lack in adequate allocation while asking for the Central help and the issue may be discussed at the Governing Council.

For the first time after July 2019 the Council, where all the chief ministers are the members, will be holding a physical meeting. As the country commemorates 75 years of its independence, there is a reinforced need for the States to be agile, resilient and self-reliant and move towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat in a spirit of cooperative federalism, Niti Aayog said in a statement.

“The meeting would also lay emphasis on the importance of the Presidency for India for the federal system and the role that States can play in highlighting their progress at the G-20 platform,” it said. India will host the G20 Presidency and summit next year.

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