The Hindu Business Line : Pitroda to head National Knowledge Commission

While Dr P.M. Bhargava would be the Vice-Chairperson, the other members of the commission are Mr Nandan Nilekani, Dr Deepak Nayyar, Dr Ashok Ganguly, Dr Andre Beteille, Dr Jayati Ghosh and Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta.

An official release said the Commission would advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to institutions of knowledge production, use and dissemination. Its mandate is to sharpen India's "knowledge edge".

The Commission would also advise the Prime Minister on how the country could promote excellence in the education system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st Century; promote knowledge creation in science and technology laboratories, improve the management of institutions generating intellectual property, improve the protection of IPRs (intellectual property rights) and promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry.

It would suggest ways in which the Government's knowledge capabilities could be made more effective, making the Government more transparent and accountable as a service provider to the citizen. It would also explore ways in which knowledge could be made more widely accessible in the country for maximum public benefit.

A Technical Support Group would assist the Commission. It would be staffed by young recruits, hired on contract from premier educational institutions in the country.

The Planning Commission would provide logistic support to the National Knowledge Commission. It is expected to interact with different ministries that handle knowledge areas and encourage them to generate their own plans for upgrading institutional capacity.

A National Steering Group would guide the Commission in its work. The Group would be chaired by the Prime Minister and include the Ministers of Human Resource Development, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Communication and Information Technology, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, and the Minister of State for Science and Technology.

The Commission would identify its action programme by October 2, 2005 and complete its work by October 2, 2008.

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