Overview

• Trinamool MP Saket Gokhale first exposed the error by sharing the report’s cover map on X, criticizing the government for misplacing West Bengal.
• In her July 9 letter to vice-chair Suman Bery, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the lapse as an affront to the state’s identity and demanded immediate correction and an apology.
• Banerjee warned that the gaffe raises serious questions about the rigor and reliability of NITI Aayog’s analyses, which guide national policy decisions.
• The online link to the “Summary Report for the State of West Bengal” has been taken down and NITI Aayog has not publicly addressed inquiries about the mix-up.
• The incident follows earlier disputes over NITI Aayog’s methods in its Covid-19 planning, the Multidimensional Poverty Index and the 2024 SDG India Index, intensifying scrutiny of the think tank’s credibility.