COMMITTEES
Lodha committee proposes sweeping reforms for BCCI
Former Chief Justice of India, R.M. Lodha, submitted his report on the various aspects of reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to the Supreme Court registry on 4 January 2016. The panel headed by justice (retd) RM Lodha was appointed by the apex court last year in the wake of a sport-fixing scandal in Indian Premier League (IPL), the biggest crisis to hit the cashrich sports body in the country. The three-member panel, which submitted a 159-page report on January 4 to the Supreme Court for ratification.
Arvind Panagariya committee formed on Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Corridor
On 11 January 2016, a five-member high level committee headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya was formed to monitor the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Corridor (bullet train project) by the Union Government. The responsibility of the committee is to look into the overall operations and technical issues, Make in India component and financial outlay of the 90000 crore rupees worth project. Apart from this, the committee will also audit the project’s strategic importance for India-Japan bilateral relation. Apart from the Chairman, the members of the committee are-Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Shantikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary S Jaishankar, Foreign SecretaryAK Mittal, Railway Board Chairman.
Kamal Haasan, Ghosh on Shyam Benegal panel
Actor-director Kamal Haasan and film-maker Gautam Ghosh were on 14 January 2016 included in the Shyam Benegal committee set up by the Union government to look holistically into the functioning of the controversy-ridden Central Board of Film Certification, making it a six-member panel.The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry had set up the panel on January 1 to take a relook at the functioning of the Board.
French President declared economic emergency
On 18 January 2016, French President Francois Hollande declared a state of economic and social emergency to redefine country’s economic and social model. President Francois Hollande has set out a € 2bn (£1.5bn) job creation plan in an attempt to lift France out of what he called a state of “economic emergency”.