Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday, May 22, said the proposed Institute for Transforming Arunachal Pradesh (ITA) is steadily taking shape through active collaboration between the state government and NITI Aayog.

Describing the initiative as a major step towards evidence-based policymaking and long-term development planning, the Chief Minister said the institute would function as a dedicated state-level policy think tank tailored to Arunachal Pradesh’s unique geographical, cultural and economic conditions.

In a post on X, Khandu said the proposed institute would provide strategic direction and support data-driven governance for the frontier state.

“For long, we have strongly advocated the need for a dedicated state-level policy think tank that can provide strategic direction, evidence-based policymaking and long-term developmental planning tailored to Arunachal Pradesh’s unique realities,” he said.

Khandu also expressed gratitude to NITI Aayog member Dr Joram Aniya, CEO Nidhi Chhibber and officials associated with the initiative for supporting the state’s developmental vision.

Officials said the proposed Institute for Transforming Arunachal Pradesh would serve as a specialised policy and research body to assist the government in framing data-driven policies, monitoring developmental indicators, strengthening institutional governance and designing sustainable growth strategies.

In recent years, Arunachal Pradesh has intensified efforts in infrastructure development, border area expansion, tourism, hydropower, entrepreneurship promotion and sustainable economic growth.

The state government has also been working closely with NITI Aayog on initiatives related to aspirational districts, innovation ecosystems and youth empowerment programmes.

NITI Aayog functions as the Centre’s apex public policy think tank and supports states in policy formulation and development planning through cooperative federalism.