CCI seeks help from experts to deal with diverse cases

Dealing with cases from diverse sectors, Competition Commission has started seeking assistance of outside experts to help it make well informed decisions.
The move comes against the backdrop of Competition Commission of India (CCI) continuing to grapple with manpower shortage even though it has been roping in people on contract basis for a stipulated period.
CCI, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the market place, has been witnessing a rising number of complaints across sectors including information technology and shipping.
Many of the complaints are rejected after finding that prima facie, there is no violation of competition norms but in some cases, detailed examination is required before taking a call.

A source said the commission has started seeking the help of industry experts from outside depending on the cases before it as some matters need expert inputs before reaching a conclusion.
In recent times, the regulator has sought the help of experts in cases related to shipping and information technology sectors, the source added.

The fair trade regulator orders a detailed probe into complaints only if it finds prima facie evidence of violations of competition rules.
In case of violations, the matter is referred to its investigation arm, Director General (DG), for probe.
Over the past nine years, CCI has dealt with more than 700 cases of anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position in diverse fields including cement, real estate, steel and coal.

At CCI, there were 72 vacant positions out of the sanctioned strength of 197, in the last fiscal. The number of vacancies at the fair trade regulator was slightly higher than 68 seen in 2014-15, while it was 92 in 2013-14.