Aiyar, Pal, Mander to be Sonia’s advisers in NAC-II

With Congress president Sonia Gandhi being re-nominated head of the National Advisory Council (NAC), speculation is now rife on probable names that would find place in the reconstituted body.

Many of the 12 members of NAC-I are likely to be brought back on the reconstituted body. Speculation is rife that new entrants could include educationist professor Yash Pal, former civil servant Harsh Mander and Congress leader  Mani Shankar Aiyar, who has now been nominated to Rajya Sabha.

The NAC was formed during United Progressive Alliance (UPA’s) first term. Headed by Gandhi, it played a vital role in the enactment of the Congress’s big ticket schemes like the Right to Information (RTI) Act, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

In its second avatar, the main task of the NAC is touted to be the implementation of major reformist legislations like the food security bill and the right to education bill.

Hailing the revival of the NAC that gave continued inputs to the UPA government on policy matters during its first term, prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday: “With Gandhi as its head, it would bring a new dimension to the working of the government.”

The NAC had a host of economists, social activists, former civil servants, IT experts and educationists working with Gandhi in guiding the government on policy issues. However, after Gandhi quit as chairperson of NAC in March 2006 following the office of profit controversy, it largely became a dysfunctional body. Terms of its remaining members also ended on March 31, 2008.

With concerns over the draft food security bill being raised by social activists — some of whom were Gandhi’s colleagues at the NAC — the Congress president is likely to rope in Mander on the reconstituted body.
Mander, a former civil servant, is said to have given extensive inputs to Gandhi on the model food security bill much before it was sent to the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) for deliberations.
Besides Mander, noted educationist prof Yash Pal, who has been closely involved with the right to education bill, is also likely to be brought on board.
There is also a feeling that the NAC should have a couple of “political members” too, largely to communicate “political concerns” over viability of various social sector schemes that the NAC might want to push for. In NAC-I, the only political member besides Gandhi was Union minister for environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh. It’s uncertain whether Ramesh would make a comeback, given his preoccupation as a minister in UPA-II.
However, Aiyar is likely to be the political face of NAC-II.
Sources say former members like Ramon Magsaysay award winner Aruna Roy, former civil servants NC Saxena and Jayprakash Narayan, economist Jean Dreze and educationist Madhav Chavan are likely to be re-nominated to the NAC.