NDA (II) 2025 GAT Q145: Under which one of the following initiatives does the NITI

Q: What is the answer to NDA (II) 2025 GAT Q145?

C. Correct — C, State Support Mission. Through its State Support Mission, NITI Aayog helps willing States and Union Territories set up their own State Institutions for Transformation (SITs) — state-level think-tanks modelled on NITI Aayog — with technical support channelled through NITI's SETU (Supporting Economic Transformation Unit). (Provisional — pending the official UPSC key.)

NDA (II) 2025 General Ability Test · Question 145 of 147

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

Provisional answers. UPSC has not yet released the official NDA 2025 answer key (it is published several months after the exam). The answers here are our best-supported answers — derived from careful subject-solving and cross-checked against independent solved papers and primary sources — and will be reconciled to the official key as soon as UPSC publishes it. They are not the official UPSC answer key.

Under which one of the following initiatives does the NITI Aayog support interested States to establish a State Institution for Transformation (SIT)?

(a)NITI for States Platform
(b)Bharat Ke Badhte Kadam
(c)State Support Mission
(d)Aspirational Block Programme

Answer

Why

Correct — C, State Support Mission. Through its State Support Mission, NITI Aayog helps willing States and Union Territories set up their own State Institutions for Transformation (SITs) — state-level think-tanks modelled on NITI Aayog — with technical support channelled through NITI's SETU (Supporting Economic Transformation Unit).

Why the others are wrong

(a)NITI for States Platform — This is a digital knowledge-and-best-practices portal that gives state officials access to datasets, policies and case studies — not the vehicle for setting up State Institutions for Transformation.
(b)Bharat Ke Badhte Kadam — This is a NITI Aayog outreach and showcase initiative highlighting India's development strides; it is not a mechanism to create state-level institutions.
(d)Aspirational Block Programme — This is a focused development programme aimed at improving backward blocks (an extension of the Aspirational Districts idea), unrelated to establishing SITs.

Concept

NITI Aayog (the National Institution for Transforming India) replaced the Planning Commission in 2015 as the Government's apex public-policy think-tank, promoting cooperative and competitive federalism. Its State Support Mission works with States and UTs to build institutional capacity, including helping them set up State Institutions for Transformation so each state has its own NITI-style think-tank.

All four options are genuine NITI Aayog initiatives, so the trap is matching the specific objective — creating State Institutions for Transformation — to the right programme. That programme is the State Support Mission.

Key facts

NITI Aayog's State Support Mission helps interested States and UTs establish State Institutions for Transformation (SITs).
Technical support is routed through NITI's SETU (Supporting Economic Transformation Unit).
NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015 as the Government's policy think-tank.
It champions cooperative and competitive federalism between the Centre and the States.

How NITI Aayog helps a State set up a SIT

NITI Aayog runs the State Support Mission
Technical support is provided through SETU (Supporting Economic Transformation Unit)
An interested State/UT establishes a State Institution for Transformation (SIT)
The State gains its own NITI-style think-tank for planning and reforms

The State Support Mission is NITI Aayog's route to helping States build SITs — hence option (c).

Study next

NITI Aayog versus the erstwhile Planning CommissionCooperative and competitive federalismAspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks ProgrammesNITI Aayog's Governing Council and its compositionSDG India Index and NITI Aayog's state rankings

Common traps

All four options are real NITI Aayog programmes — pick the one whose specific purpose is building State Institutions for Transformation.
Do not confuse the 'NITI for States Platform' (a knowledge portal) with the State Support Mission (institution-building).

NITI Aayog is asked on what body it replaced, its federalism role, and matching its specific missions/programmes to their stated objectives.

Related PYQs

UPSC_2015_GS1_Q422015Open & attempt →

The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace the

(a) Human Rights Commission
(b) Finance Commission
(c) Law Commission
(d) Planning Commission

Answer(d) Planning Commission

Same institution — UPSC tested that NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission. This NDA question goes a layer deeper into NITI Aayog's work, asking which of its missions helps States set up their own transformation institutions.

NDA_GAT_2024_II_Q752024Open & attempt →

Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of setting up of Planning Commission in the 1950s in India? 1. To increase production and offering opportunities to all for employment 2. To make assessment of all resources of the country Select the answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer(c) Both 1 and 2

The same policy-planning lineage — NDA-II 2024 asked about the Planning Commission's objectives, and NITI Aayog (subject of this 2025 question) is the body that replaced the Planning Commission in 2015.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
NITI Aayog replaced which of the following bodies in 2015?
- (a)Finance Commission
- (b)Planning Commission
- (c)National Development Council
- (d)Inter-State Council
Answer(b) Planning Commission — NITI Aayog succeeded it with effect from 1 January 2015.
practice — not a real PYQ
In NITI Aayog's initiatives, 'SIT' stands for
- (a)State Investment Tribunal
- (b)State Institution for Transformation
- (c)State Innovation Trust
- (d)State Infrastructure Taskforce
Answer(b) State Institution for Transformation — the state-level think-tank NITI helps States set up.