Congress to rev up its research wing

To take on the Narendra Modi-led government, the Congress parliamentary party has decided to activate its research wing to identify critical issues and build consensus on them among opposition parties.

For this purpose, a dedicated research team under former Indian Institute of Management Bangalore professor Rajeev Gowda has been set up to give research inputs for the party. Besides, "shadow cabinets", set up by the party, are already tracking key ministries. A team under senior party Veerappa Moily, which is focusing on finance-related issues, has been monitoring the government response on black money, banking sector reforms, foreign direct investment in various sectors, the workings of the Financial Sector Reforms Commission, etc.

Gowda's team has been working on issues such as "anti-farmer" policies of the NDA, whittling down of minimum support prices and changes in the land ordinance. The team would come out with reports on them.

A lot of focus is being given to the land ordinance, as the Congress wants to rake up the issue in the upcoming Budget session in a big way, while the government wants to have the land Bill passed. In the last session, research reports by the team had helped the Congress' to corner the government in Parliament.

The "shadow cabinets" have been meeting from time to time and brainstorming on issues concerning their designated areas. So the Moily-led team on finance and commerce, with Anand Sharma and Jyotiraditya Scindia as members, has in the run-up to the Budget session flagged off critical areas of concern - black money, banking sector reforms, FDI policy of the government, etc.

A committee of the party has also been tracking the developments in the education sector and human resource development ministry in view of the saffronisation of education agenda of the BJP. According to a member of the committee, the saffronisation drive has become a major cause of concern for the academic community in general.

The committee headed by Mani Shankar Aiyar has also been interacting and brainstorming with faculty members and educationists. The interference of the HRD ministry in the functioning of autonomous institutions, the IITs, etc., has been far more than that during the NDA rule under Atal Behari Vajpayee, says a committee member.

Contradicting the BJP-led government's claims on its focus on the Northeast region, a member of the committee tracking the function of the DONER ministry said the government has been high on rhetoric and low on delivery. Skill development for better employment prospects for the English speaking young work force in the North east, threat of land erosion in Assam, revamping of the North East Council and DONER ministries - are issues that have not been addressed by the government according to a committee member.  

Contradicting the BJP-led government's claims on its focus on the Northeast region, a member of a committee said the government has been high on rhetoric and low on delivery.