NKC-8: Ministerial working groups to assist the knowledge commission in India

NKC-8: India's National Knowledge Commission-8: Six ministerial working groups to assist the knowledge commission

India’s knowledge commission will address its terms of reference through working groups (WGs) to be constituted by the Ministry connected with each term of reference vide Planning Commission,
Government of India, New Delhi, notification of July 13, 2005.As many as six ministerial working groups will assist the knowledge commission. Such working groups will be set up by

(i)Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on building excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st Century,

(ii)Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) on promoting research in science and technology,

(iii)Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Improving the management of institutions engaged in intellectual property rights (IPRs),

(iv)Ministry of Agriculture on promoting knowledge applications in agriculture,

(v)Ministry of Commerce and Industry on promoting knowledge applications in industry, and

(vi)Department of Information Technology (DIT) on promoting the use of knowledge capabilities to make the government effective, transparent, accountable and public-oriented.

It appears that the knowledge commission may not undertake any original work but may deliberate on the reports of the ministerial working groups (WGs) and make its recommendations to the Prime
Minister. It is noteworthy that all the members of the knowledge commission are part-time. Policy formulation / intervention is thus likely to depend to a large extent upon the deliberations of these
working groups (WGs) rather than the individual expertise of the members.. It is also, however, not known if any Ministry or Department has onstituted the concerned working group (WG) so far or not.

Dr D.C.Misra
July 17, 2005