Towards a coherent development strategy

Development initiatives need a grand vision that reflects political concerns, challenges and opportunities

Last month’s contribution by this columnist on the need to reform the NITI Aayog has raised some questions about what was meant by the proposal that it should become the High Command of Development Strategy. This is clearly an analogy to a defence institution and by implication to military planning. Pursuing this analogy further one can spell out how development should be planned and implemented in terms of the military concepts of grand strategy, strategy, grand tactics and tactics.

• At the level of a grand strategy for development, national and international challenges and options are identified and a vision for development