A month has passed, since this article was published. But for minor notices the new setup, has not surfaced. That makes Mr Modi's style of governing. While leading general elections, Modi announced many people-friendly schemes, at the same time, denigrating previous administrations' already in-stream systems.
Now that he has achieved his aim to be a 'strong' PM with adequate majority, without any likely support from BJP' allies in NDA, he is free to demolish whatever he wants.
That being said, I want to address a critical issue, not discussed in media because Modi's new 'Think Tank,' is nowhere to be seen. Trial balloons, notwithstanding, nobody, who is somebody, inside Modi's cabinet or outside in various business, industry, trade and commerce associations, not to forget, techno-savvy IT industry's leaders and champions has said one single word, for or against Modi's modern and progressive modified planning-something.
As a Gujarat state chief minister, he might have different advisers and mentors to play with state planning. As a matter of fact, all states have their own planning ideas. national Planning, accepted their ideas and, in most cases, approved them. Sort of 'rubber stamped' their approval.
What difference does it make, whether a statutory body with their own bureacracy and established methods of collecting, collating, assessing and interpreting statistics to be equally shared with all stakeholders, including various departments and agencies under Delhi, does it, top down or bottom up?
By the way, who is at the bottom? Industry lobbies? I think so. At one desperate moment, Modi asked 'Babus' to make a power point presentation of what Modi achieved in his first hundred days.
Sounds like, Modi, himself is not sure. Lost in his 'chakravuha' like Abhimanyu?'

...and I am Sid Harth

The pity is Planning Commission does not derive its creation( from the Constitution or statute) headed by PM with some ministers as ex-officio members, is an arm of the Central/Union Government. So, this is nothing but another cabinet meet. While significant contributions do not exist, On the other it faced criticism for high spending 3.5 million to renovate two blocks of toilets. Does it make any difficulty for public or Govt due to its closure ?

disaster called planning commission was stinking. and it is not necessary to spell out the obvious.but delhi is a place where e\ delusions get frantic. govts are busy creating superfluous organisation which have ever lasting life. a p. m who shoots down proposals for creating white elephants will do least harm congress harmed the country, mortally.

The irrelevance of the Planning Commission and the collegium system has been discussed for quite some time. It is not a sudden development.

TNIE seems to be Congie mouthpiece. They allow comments against Modi but not comments against Congress or themselves.

The author is just a lobbyist of Modi Sarkar tom-toming
the agenda of the govt. Modi has only given the dog a bad name &
kicked him out. Immediately after Modi came to power in media
(probably paid) bashing of the PC-planning commission was started
by all the lobbyists. A ground was already prepared to sack the ugly servant. So the final announcement was made in the grand finale as an enevitable
event as people were expected to accept this without surprise.
This is a grand conspiracy & hood-winking by Modi Sarkar..
There is a pattern in all this mischief & mudslinging.

Similar sequence of events happened before the collegium system
of appointing judges was scrapped. Articles appeared in media about
colligium system deriding it and was given a bad name as "system of
judges appointing judges". A PR exercise of consulting everyone including ex-judges was done by law minister for the heck of it. Just to pacify
congress it's amendment was included and netas colluded across
parties to push through a bill taking away the independence of judiciary.

So far Modi has not spelt out the drawbacks & pitfalls of the
PC and has not disclosed the characteristics of the new institution
replacing the PC. IT IS EASY TO DESTROY BUT DIFFICULT TO REBUILD
and that is true even with an institution or systems be it PC, collegium
or PSU. Modi is just hotheaded and is closed to any meaningful debates
and not at all open to ideas & criticism. The whole exercise
is just a bravado clothed in secrecy and betrays arrogance. Why can't
the ex-chairmans of planning commission speak out ? I believe
Arun Shourie was a member of planning commission. What he has got to say?