Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh to lead reform panels for economic, social sectors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah. (File photo/PTI)

The Centre has formed Centre two new informal groups of ministers (iGoMs) which will be headed by Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to prescribe reforms in the economic and social sectors, respectively, according to a report by the Indian Express.

The panel led by Amit Shah’s comprises 13 members, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Minister of Railways, I&B and Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw is the convener.

The group's motive is laying out the legislative and policy reform agenda in the technology and economic sectors.

Another panel, headed by Rajnath Singh, comprises 18 members for social, welfare and security sectors. This panel will examine the scope for reforms in sectors including education, healthcare, defence, skilling, social welfare, housing, labour, public health etc.

Members in this panel include Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been designated as its convener.

These groups have been set up after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address where he pressed on the need for next-generation reforms and announced the setting up of a task force, according to the Indian Express report.

“Current rules, laws, policies, and procedures must be redrafted to suit the 21st century, to fit the global environment, and to align with the vision of making Bharat a developed nation by 2047,” PM Modi had said in his Independence Day address.

Both the panels have been asked to submit monthly progress reports, followed by a consolidated reforms roadmap at the end of three months. Secretarial support for this would be provided by the Finance Ministry’s Department of Economic Affairs.

Additionally, the chairs of the two panels have been vested with the mandate to invite ministers, secretaries and subject matter experts, as and when required.

The composition of the two panels suggests the Prime Minister is keen to reflect the criticality of pushing through these small and big decisions that hold back progress both on the social and economic front. With ministers as members, quick actions can be taken on recommendations.

The panels have also been tasked with suggesting legislative reforms that include repeal or changes to existing laws and readying the draft enabling legislations for futuristic sectors including digital health, fintech, the gig economy etc; identifying policy reforms; highlighting process-focused reform and institutional reforms that span the central, state and local levels, IE reported.