The Prime Minister of India is the de facto head of which of the following bodies? I. NITI Aayog II. National Integration Council III. National Board for Wildlife

Introduction / Context:
This question checks understanding of key national level bodies which are chaired by the Prime Minister of India. The term de facto head here refers to the top leadership role where the Prime Minister presides over meetings and guides policy directions. Knowing which bodies are chaired by the Prime Minister helps in questions about governance architecture.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Body I is NITI Aayog.
• Body II is the National Integration Council.
• Body III is the National Board for Wildlife or its earlier form as Indian Board of Wildlife.
• We must identify which of these bodies have the Prime Minister as their chairperson or de facto head.

Concept / Approach:
NITI Aayog is the successor to the Planning Commission and its Chairperson is the Prime Minister of India. The National Integration Council is an extra constitutional body created to address issues of communalism and national integration and is chaired by the Prime Minister. The National Board for Wildlife, a statutory board under the Wildlife Protection Act, is also chaired by the Prime Minister according to the provisions of that Act.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: For NITI Aayog, recall that the official organogram lists the Prime Minister as Chairperson of NITI Aayog. Step 2: For the National Integration Council, standard polity references describe it as an extra constitutional advisory body chaired by the Prime Minister. Step 3: For the National Board for Wildlife, the Act and government notifications specify that the Prime Minister is the chairperson of the board. Step 4: Since all three bodies are chaired by the Prime Minister, the correct choice is that the Prime Minister is the de facto head of all I, II and III.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by consulting organisational charts. NITI Aayog web pages name the Prime Minister as Chairman. Information about the National Integration Council in standard GK sources also clearly says that it is chaired by the Prime Minister. For the National Board for Wildlife, summaries of the Wildlife Protection Act mention the Prime Minister as its chairperson. Once you see this pattern, it becomes easy to remember that all three are headed by the Prime Minister.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Only I: This ignores that the Prime Minister also chairs the National Integration Council and National Board for Wildlife.
• Only II: This underestimates the central role of the Prime Minister in NITI Aayog and wildlife governance.
• Both II and III: This excludes NITI Aayog which is clearly headed by the Prime Minister.
• Only I and II: This omits the Prime Minister role as chairperson of the National Board for Wildlife.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to assume that some of these bodies might be headed by a senior minister other than the Prime Minister, especially in the area of environment or integration. Another pitfall is to remember only NITI Aayog and forget the others. To avoid mistakes, it may help to create a small list of major councils and boards chaired by the Prime Minister, which typically includes NITI Aayog, National Integration Council and National Board for Wildlife.

Final Answer:
The Prime Minister of India is the de facto head of all three bodies, that is NITI Aayog, the National Integration Council and the National Board for Wildlife.