Singapore:-“The passing of Lee Kuan Yew, is not the passing of an individual, but indeed, of an era.He was a torchbearer of hope, not just for Singapore, but for all of Asia.Today, the flame is no more, but this was a torch that lit the lamp of hope in many new nations. As long as these lamps flicker, he will continue to inspire, eternally.His personal life was an inspiration for many like me. I bow to this committed Karma Yogi, this great man. On behalf of all Indians, I pay homage to him.”

Rajnath Singh-Home Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley-Finance Minister, Shri Suresh Prabhu- Railway Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh- Agriculture Minister have been appointed as ex-officio Members. In addition, Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari- Road Transport and Highways Minister, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot-Social Justice and Empowerment Minister and Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani- Human Resource Development Minister have been nominated as special invitees.Government has appointed Dr. Arvind Panagariya as Vice-Chairman and Shri Bibek Debroy and Dr. V.K. Saraswat as full time Members. Smt. Sindhushree Khullar has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI.

It may be recalled that on 07th December, 2014, in his consultation, meeting of Chief Ministers of all the States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories, the Prime Minister had outlined the vision of forming Team India for working synergistically towards National Development Agenda.In the meeting of the first Governing Council, the Prime Minister further elaborated on this vision which is an embodiment of the concept of cooperative federalism. On this theme, the Prime Minister further added that he favored healthy competition for development among States. It was pointed out the most important responsibility of NITI Aayog relates to promoting cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis. The Centre, through this framework will be an enabler in the rapid progress of States through Cooperative Federalism. Various suggestions regarding structured mechanism for interaction based on specific focus issues and relative strengths of States were sought. Further, the views of the States on forming of Regional Council to address the specific issues and contingencies impacting more than one state or a region were also sought.

Ruling out any big announcements, the Prime Minister mentioned some key elements of his vision for Varanasi`s renewal:
Making Banaras Hindu University a wi-fi university; modernizing it and placing it alongside the best universities of the world.
Separate toilets for boys and girls in schools.
Cleaning of the Ganga using latest technology.
Provision of clean drinking water.
Modernization of the Ganga ghats ensuring dignity of women.
Creating a contemporary ambience and feel for the Ganga aarti, using modern lighting.
Running a special “Palace on wheels” train for Kashi.
Small battery operated cars for Kashi.
Solid waste management for the town.
Enough seating for everyone at Varanasi railway station.
Modern restrooms in public places.
Solar lighting in public places.
Creating a global market for handlooms and handicrafts using e-commerce.
Free emergency ambulance service.
The Prime Minister remarked that thanks to modern tools of communication, he had perhaps received more support than even Mahatma Gandhi for the Swachhta Abhiyaan. He said awareness is growing among people. An atmosphere is being created where people will start hating dirt.
Prime Minister said that on the basis of his experience over the last six months, he sees no reason why the country should remain where it is today. Noting that the whole world is looking to India today, he said it is up to India to take best advantage of the situation.