Prime Minister Modi Chairs NITI Aayog Meeting Amid Key State Absences

Ten states and UTs, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, missed the ninth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog led by PM Modi. Mamata Banerjee walked out, and Nitish Kumar had assembly commitments. Discussions included FDI competition, demographic management, and zero poverty initiatives.

Ten states and Union Territories opted out of the ninth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, confirmed CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.

The no-show states included Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Puducherry. Subrahmanyam added, 'It is their loss if they did not participate.'

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery highlighted PM Modi's exhortation for states to compete for FDI and target zero poverty at the village level.

(With inputs from agencies.)