OSDs, young professionals leading NITI Aayog's demographic transformation

The Aayog since it took shape has not only halved its staff strength, but has also added fresh faces in the form of OSDs and young professionals

Around evening time, NITI Aayog, the Centre’s newest think-tank on major policy matters, sports an unusual look. From the days when it symbolised old-rotting bureaucracy, the Aayog now sports a more young look with the changing demographic profile clearly evident.

In fact, most days it resembles a high-end research institute crowded with laptop clutching youngsters rather than people waiting for their retirement.

Much of this change has to do with extensive restructuring of staff and employment of new people in place of them.

The Aayog since it took shape more than a year back has not only halved its staff strength from the original over 1200, but has also added fresh faces in the form of OSDs and young professionals drawn from varied fields.

At the core of this new look is the six-odd OSDs who have been selected through a transparent recruitment process.

The original idea was to attach each of them with the vice chairman and also the three members as per their expertise to enhance the quality of work. However, this idea was scrapped later. 

So, the OSD to the vice chairman was to necessarily have a background of economics and management, the one which was to be attached with member VK Saraswat was to have a science or physics background.

The OSDs have been appointed on the rank of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India, with average age of less than 50 years.

Earlier, it was decided that OSD’s would get a pay package of Rs 1,50,000 per month, but later it was revised to RS 1,50,000-2,50,000 per month as the existing bracket was considered inadequate to attract good talent.

So now as it stands, the OSDs are more or less attached to the vice chairman and have been divided into cells such as economy and commerce, data analytics, research, legal and energy efficiency cell.

In the previous regime, OSD which was equivalent to a consultant and was not appointed through any transparent process and usually comprised of retired government officials. The OSDs have been appointed on a contract of three years.

Another big change, which has been brought about is in the appointment of young professionals or YPs.

YPs were always part of the erstwhile Planning Commission, however, in the new NITI Aayog, though their total number has remained the same at around 30, but their demographic profile has undergone a change and also the process of selection. The YPs have been selected on a salary bracket of Rs 50,000-75,000 per month and most of them are below the age of 30.

The YPs mostly have an economic background, but some have even come from law background. Though, possessing foreign degree was not mandatory, but some do have degrees from foreign universities.

The selection process of YPs took almost a year as the right candidates were difficult to find.

Going forward, the Aayog plans to create a talent pool of young professionals and also OSDs who can be made to join the government as and when required.

In other words, the demographic transition which is swamping the old Yojana Bhawan building does not seem like going away in the near future.