The Delhi government has formally notified the creation of the Delhi Institute for Transformation and Innovation (DITI), a new policy think tank that will help prepare the roadmap for Vision Delhi 2047 and guide development planning across the capital.
According to the notification reported by Jagran, DITI will conduct policy research, analytical studies and impact assessments across different sectors. It will advise government departments on designing and implementing programmes, improving monitoring systems and strengthening public service delivery.
The institution has been modelled on the lines of NITI Aayog and is intended to function as the Delhi government’s principal think tank and policy advisory body. Its mandate includes using data, technology, partnerships and policy research to promote an evidence-based approach to governance.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will chair DITI’s governing board and will nominate its vice-chairperson. The board will include all ministers of the Delhi government, the chief secretary, the vice-chairperson of the Delhi Development Authority, the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council.
The notification also provides for an executive committee headed by the chief secretary. Representatives of government departments and leading knowledge institutions, including Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, will be part of the institution’s work. Secretaries of relevant departments and national and international subject experts may be invited to meetings when required.
Experts from outside the government will be paid Rs 10,000 per meeting, according to the reported notification. Experts travelling to Delhi from outside the city will also be eligible for travel and daily allowances.
DITI’s immediate role is expected to include preparing development roadmaps and providing evidence-based recommendations to departments. The notification, as reported, does not specify the full list of the eight areas that the institution will initially prioritise.
The formation of DITI also revives a governance model previously used by the Delhi government. The earlier Aam Aadmi Party administration had created the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission for similar policy and planning functions. Jagran reported that the earlier institution later became involved in controversies, although the current notification establishes a new institutional structure under the present government.
The composition of DITI places the chief minister, senior administrators, civic bodies and the city’s development authority within a common policy framework. This could give the institution access to agencies responsible for land, municipal services, urban development and public administration, while its effectiveness will depend on how its recommendations are taken up by individual departments.
The notification assigns DITI a role in research, programme design, implementation support and impact assessment. Its next operational steps will include beginning sectoral studies, convening its governing and executive bodies, and developing the roadmap for Vision Delhi 2047.
