National Knowledge Commission
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On 13th June, 2005 , the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, constituted the National Knowledge Commission, as a think-tank charged with considering possible policy that might sharpen India's comparative advantage in the knowledge-intensive service sectors.
In particular, the Commission was to advise the Prime Minister's Office on policy related to education, research institutes and reforms needed to make India competitive in the knowledge economy. The Commission was to recommend reform of the education sector, research labs, and intellectual property legislation; as well as consider whether the Government could itself upgrade its use of the latest techniques to make its workings more transparent.
The NKC website was launched in February 2006.
[edit] Members of the National Knowledge Commission
- Sam Pitroda, Chairman,
- Dr P.M. Bhargava, Vice-Chairman.
Regular members are:
- Nandan Nilekani, Infosys,
- Dr. Deepak Nayyar, former Vice-chancellor, University of Delhi
- Ashok Ganguly, corporate leader
- Dr. Jayati Ghosh, economist at Jawaharlal Nehru University
In May 2006 the Commission spoke out against the Human Resource Development Ministry's plans to increase quotas for backward castes in institutions such as the IITs. Following Arjun Singh's subsequent remarks on their credentials, two of the members, Andre Béteille and Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta, sent letters of resignation to the Prime Minister.
The Commission has already submitted recommendations on e-governance and their suggestions have been incorporated in the National e-governance Plan.
