National anthem panel to meet on Jan 19

The Inter-Ministerial Committee, constituted by the Centre for formulation of guidelines on playing or singing of national anthem in cinema halls, is slated to meet for the first time, on January 19. The 12-member panel constituted following a directive of the Supreme Court will be headed by a Special Secretary rank officer and it will submit the report to the apex court within six months.

Home Ministry officials said the committee will be headed by Special Secretary (Border Management) the charge of which is being held by Additional Secretary Bipin Bihari Mallick. A Joint Secretary from the Home Ministry will also be part. The Committee will include Joint Secretary level officers as representatives from ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Women and Child Development, Culture, Minority Affairs, Law, Human Resource Development, Parliamentary Affairs and Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

"The Home Ministry has sought nominations from all the ten ministries asking them to nominate officers for the panel not below the rank of Joint Secretary," a senior Home Ministry official said.