Andaman & Nicobar Tribal Research Institute (ANTRI)

VICE PRESIDENT VISITS ANDAMAN & NICOBAR TRIBAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN PORT BLAIR

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari evinced deep interest in the anthropological and cultural aspects of different aboriginal tribes of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He visited the Andaman & Nicobar Tribal Research Institute (ANTRI) in Port Blair today, on the eve of its first anniversary. The Vice President is on a four-day visit to the Islands since yesterday. In ANTRI, Vice President inspected the exhibits on the tribal lifestyles. Lt Governor of the Union Territory, Lt Gen (Retd) AK Singh explained to him the evolution of ANTRI as one of the premier institutes of research on tribal studies in a short span of time. He also explained the differing perceptions on tribal issues among the general public, researchers, pressure groups, NGOs etc and the aspirations of some of the tribes and gave details on the welfare measures being undertaken by the Union Territory Administration with responsibility and accountability, by taking into account the learned views of specialists on the subject and other stakeholders. Prof. Vishwajit Pandya, Honorary Director, ANTRI, made power point presentations on the tribes like Jarawas, Shompens, Onges and Nicobarese and briefed about the linkages of the tribes with their counterparts in certain other parts of the world. He also elucidated the novel bilingual and pictorial educational programme for the Jarawas called "Ang Katha," with the help of the Aadhim Janjati Vikas Samiti, a quasi-Government organisation under the Islands Administration.

Highlights of PM’s speech at Vibrant Gujarat Summit, January 11, 2015, Gandhinagar

Let me begin by expressing our solidarity with the people of France as they mourn their loss and come to terms with the brutal terrorist attack. As we see it spread around the world, let us pledge to work together to make sure that it will not succeed against the life that we have all gathered here to build, and the values that we stand for. On behalf of the people of India and on my personal behalf, I welcome you all to this Summit. In January, 2013, while concluding the sixth Summit, I had extended an invitation for today’s event. Your response has been outstanding. I am glad to be here to welcome you. On this occasion, I express my gratitude to the old partners of this event - both countries and organisations. These include Japan and Canada. Without their support, this event could not have come this far. I also welcome warmly and thank new partners like USA, UK, Netherlands, Australia, Singapore and South Africa for joining this event. I particularly thank the Secretary General of the United Nations and the President of the World Bank for their presence. It shows their commitment towards progress and prosperity in emerging economies. Your partnership has enhanced the enterprising spirit of 60 million Gujaratis. It has boosted the morale of 1.2 billion Indians. This event is perhaps the biggest gathering on earth where, a budding entrepreneur has the opportunity to see the President of the World Bank. And where a young farmer, dreaming to set up a food processing unit, can listen to the views of the UN Secretary General on issues like food security. That is why, during one of the previous events, I had called it ‘Davos in Action.’ Friends! India has always believed that the whole world is one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). Few have seen this in practice. I am informed that more than hundred countries are participating in this event. We are here as a family not only in terms of space, but also because we recognise that • Someone’s dream is dependent on someone’s direction; • Someone’s success is related to someone’s support; • Someone’s curiosity is linked to someone’s care; This is what a family does. The ultimate objective is welfare of all. Loka Samastah Sukhinau Bhavantu. I am sure all of us, from the Secretary General of UN to the President of the World Bank, from leaders of the strongest economies to delegations of small countries, from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to start-up entrepreneurs, all want the planet earth to become a better place to live. Thus, our meeting here is not just - • A meeting of hands but also of hearts; • It is not only a meeting of ideas, but also of aspirations As a host to this family gathering, As a curator of thousands of dreams floating here, I welcome you all once again. I hope your stay here is comfortable. I trust you will enjoy our hospitality. This is the time of Kite Festival in Gujarat. This festival gives us the message of high spirits. Do participate in it. Friends! After becoming Prime Minister, I have travelled to the remotest parts of India and also to various parts of the world. I have been to the UN, BRICS, ASEAN, East Asian Summit, G-20 and SAARC summits. Some common worries have been expressed everywhere. The biggest concern is about the global economy. We all have to find ways for its stability and recovery. We also have to work for sustainable and inclusive growth. We, in India, believe that problems present us with opportunities to become stronger, disciplined and innovative. My Government is trying to generate confidence. We have prepared a team to secure a robust future. We believe that changes start with a change in mindset. Friends! It is a matter of great pride that today, there is tremendous interest in India. Countries are coming forward to work with us. This has, of course, generated expectations from us. India’s present as well as its rich past is being recognised. I thank the UN Secretary General for giving a formal international stature to Yoga. A record number of 177 countries supported the Indian proposal. Yoga is both a science and an art for improving human life. In today’s world, it teaches us to remain stable even in adverse situations. Friends, the 2009 edition of this event created vibrancy when the state of the global economy was depressing. The summits of 2011 and 2013 succeeded in strengthening investor confidence. It is only because of persistence with positivity that this event of Gujarat Government has become an event for the entire country. This platform has been enlarged so that other states too can take advantage. Today, many other states have adopted this approach. The Government of India is committed to support such initiatives by any state government. Friends! We will have to change the way we have been approaching problems. Recession is often seen just in the context of business and Industry. Have we ever thought of recession as being the result of low per capita income in countries where a majority of the global population lives? Have we ever thought of its solution in terms of enhancing the common man’s employability, income and purchasing power? This is the biggest task at hand in India. Mahatma Gandhi rightly talked about the last man. And Gandhiji’s message can show us the way. It is therefore appropriate that this summit is taking place in Mahatma Mandir. An excellent multimedia exhibition on the life of the Mahatma has been set up in Dandi Kutir nearby. It portrays the life journey of Gandhiji in brief. In addition, just a few steps away from here, there is a world class mega exhibition which showcases products and services by leading companies from India and abroad. I am sure you will not miss the chance to see these magnificent exhibitions. To me, the best outcome of this event should be inclusiveness and involvement of communities needing care and development. Thus, this event stands for- • Inclusiveness of small with big; • Inclusiveness of poor with rich; • Inclusiveness of gut feelings with mature thoughts I assure this global platform that India wants to work with the global leadership. Be they issues of poverty or ecology, we want to contribute to welfare of the global community. We are aware that with one sixth of the world’s population, our activities will have a global impact. We are ready to learn and make this impact positive. However, India has to be seen from a different angle. It is not just a country of today. It is also an old civilisation. It is not just a country of a few cities. It is a country of thousands of towns and several hundred thousand villages. It is a country of diverse communities. Therefore, India has its own solutions for many pressing problems. • Our philosophy is a philosophy of conservation; • Our culture teaches us nurturing of nature; • Our way of life is that of harnessing Such thoughts and practices have existed in India for centuries. Thus, whatever we will do, it will be aligned with our culture, ethos and beliefs. Because, we know, this is what will work in India. Friends! Our last national elections marked a turning point in Indian democracy. They indicated the high aspirations of our people. This was amply reflected in the record voter participation and a clear verdict in favour of one political party after a gap of 30 years. My government is committed to changing and improving the economic and social condition of India including the quality of life. In a short span of seven months, we have been able to change the atmosphere of despair and uncertainty. Since the first day, my government is actively working to revive the economy. My government is committed to create a policy environment that is predictable, transparent and fair. Friends! We are on the path of transformation. To start this process, we are making efforts to change the work culture. We have to strengthen our institutions and systems of delivery. To drive this change forcefully, we have recently re-constituted our Planning Commission. Now, it is known as NITI Ayog. We want to promote co-operative federalism in the country. At the same time, we want a competitive element among the states to create and attract whatever is needed there. I call this new form of federalism: Co-operative and Competitive Federalism. You may be aware that our economic growth had slowed down during the last few years. Now, my Government is putting all efforts to ensure faster and yet inclusive growth. The initial results are encouraging. On the economic front, during the first two quarters, we registered a growth rate which was one percent higher than the previous year. The IMF has observed that India will be the 2nd fastest growing economy in the coming years. According to the latest forecast of the OECD, India would be the only country among world's top economies which would increase its pace of growth this year. HSBC's latest report has identified India as the world's largest growing exporter, which is set to move from being the fourteenth to the fifth largest exporter in the world by 2030. On the political front also, people of various states have supported us in the recent Assembly elections. This gives us the confidence that we are moving in right direction. Let me tell you a little about what we are doing and where we want to reach. Friends! We are not merely making commitments and announcements. We are also backing them up with concrete action at the level of policy and practice. For example, I announced a Financial Inclusion programme. In four months, we have opened more than 100 million bank accounts. We are planning to build smart cities equipped with world-class amenities. For this purpose, we have further liberalized the FDI policy in construction sector. I announced that a modern rail system including high speed rails will be set up. Immediately, we opened up railways for 100% FDI. I announced that defence production in the country would be encouraged. The next step was to open the defence sector for FDI up to 49%. We have taken similar steps in many other areas. These include bringing 49% FDI in insurance. It also includes liberalization of FDI norms for manufacturing of medical devices. Simultaneously, on the administrative front, we are actively working to provide policy driven governance. We have taken far reaching decisions to ensure supply of key natural resources. This includes coal, iron ore and other minerals. We have also amended legal provisions to facilitate availability of land. This has been done to enable development in remote areas while ensuring better returns to the farming community. We are trying to complete the circle of economic reforms speedily. We are also keen to see that our policies are predictable. We are clear that our tax regime should be stable. In the last few months, we have taken several decisions in this direction. We have put focus on building Infrastructure through public and private Investments. This will include national roads, national grids of gas, electricity and water. It also includes rural infrastructure, 24x7 electric supply, farm irrigation and cleaning of rivers. In order to execute the infrastructure plan, a fast track PPP mechanism is being put in place. We are undertaking the Sagarmala project to ensure port led development. Existing ports are being modernized. New world class ports will be developed along India's coast. Ports will be better connected to the hinterland through road and rail. Inland and coastal waterways will be developed as major transport routes. Low cost airports are being planned to improve regional connectivity, especially to tier-two towns and places of economic and tourist importance. We are also keen to move towards the next generation infrastructure. Just as we need highways, we need I-ways too. Under the Digital India Initiative, IT will be used to drive Government processes to improve service delivery and programme implementation, and also to provide broadband connectivity to villages. To upgrade manufacturing Infrastructure, we are setting up world-class investment and industrial regions along the dedicated freight corridors and industrial corridors. Government of India is working towards single window clearance at the Federal and State levels. Four months back, we launched Make In India initiative to encourage the growth of manufacturing in the country. We are working hard to make India a global manufacturing hub. We are promoting, in particular, labour intensive manufacturing. I have launched these initiatives in a campaign mode so that they force us in the Government to make faster corrections. They challenge us to do away with the red tape and become pro-active. With this purpose, our applications and processes are being aggressively put online. Ease of doing business in India is a prime concern for you and us I assure you that we are working very seriously on these issues We want to make them: • Not only easier than earlier; • Not only easier than the rest; • But, we want to make them the easiest Friends! Many of you might be interested to know - Why India? India has three things to its credit - Democracy, Demography and Demand. This is what you are looking for. And I am sure, you will not find all of them together at any other destination. India offers you the potential of low cost manufacturing. India has low cost and high quality manpower. 65% of our population is below 35 years of age. We are trying to further harness these strengths through better management and good governance. In the recently launched Mars Orbiter Mission, everything was made indigenously. In fact, most mission components were made in very small factories. Friends! We have large number of hands to work. And, we have even larger number of dreams to be realised. Therefore, employment opportunities are being enhanced by promoting manufacturing, agro-based industries, tourism as well as services. We have undertaken labour reforms to encourage enterprise and to create a bigger job market for our youth. I have always said that development process should benefit the common man as well as the business sector. Therefore, my Government has established a new Ministry for skill development to enhance our human resource potential. For this, we are placing equal emphasis on knowledge, technology, innovation and research and development. This includes the use of ICT for improving governance and resource management. I understand this because I use modern tools of communication myself. Friends! Today, India is a land of opportunities. We have to build fast track roads and railways. We have to energise homes and factories on a continuous basis. We have to build infrastructure for cities where almost half of our population lives. We have to take the taste of modern amenities to every village. We have to propel our growth through value addition in our natural resources and agri-produce. We have to provide services to our people which are of global standards. At the same time, the whole world is looking for certain services. If our human resource can be equipped with skills and technology, we may serve the world in many areas. Thus, there are immense possibilities for global investors in India. The process of development we are taking up is not incremental. We are planning to take a quantum leap. It is not limited to one sector or region, it is truly unlimited. And we want to do things in a cleaner and greener way. We are open to ideas, investments and innovations: Friends! • We have made commitments to our people • We have made commitments to ourselves • We have made commitments for India’s great future • We have to write our new destiny • And we have to write it in a very short time We know that to do this, we need an enabling policy framework. We are working constantly to improve it further. However, I can say with confidence that even today, the strength of Indian democracy and independence of our judicial system provide a level playing field for long lasting business. I would conclude by saying that- • We are dreaming big; • And our dreams are numerous; • Our dreams can become the seeds of your growth; • Our aspirations can propel your ambitions Friends! on behalf of the Government, let me give an assurance. We assure you that we will be available to hold your hands whenever you need us. You will find us standing with you in your journey. If you walk one step; we will walk two steps for you. At the end, I urge you to see and realise for yourself that - • India is changing fast; • India is growing fast; • India is moving faster than expected; • India is learning even faster; • India is ready than ever before Let us join hands! Let us work together for progress, prosperity and peace.

Housing for all?

A housing strategy will have to look at a hierarchy of people who need it the most. Of the 4,041 statutory towns in the country, 63 per cent have slums. India has 13.75 million slum households, and they will rank high in strategies for housing

We are dealing with a sector here where clear data is not available and the variables are many. There have been efforts by different committees to make an assessment of the exact housing shortage in the country. The eleventh Five-Year Plan assessed the urban housing shortage at 24.7 million units, with 99 per cent of this pertaining to economically weaker sections (EWS) and lower-income groups (LIG). A technical group put the housing shortage in 2012 at 18.78 million units, taking into account households living in non-serviceable kaccha houses, obsolescent houses, congested houses and in homeless conditions. According to this group, 56 per cent of the shortage is in EWS, about 40 per cent inLIG and little over four per cent in MIG and above. TheMcKinsey report on India's urban awakening talked about 25 million households not being able to afford houses at market prices and around 17 million of these living in slums. Provision of affordable housing on such a large scale is unprecedented; only China, which had a policy of state provision of housing, had a comparable scale and spread.

A proper strategy of addressing the housing issue would naturally involve looking at a hierarchy of people who need it the most. Census 2011 reported that of the 4,041 statutory towns in the country, 63 per cent (or 2,543) had reported slums. Slum households are 17 per cent of the urban population, numbering 13.75 million households. Naturally, these persons will rank high in strategies for housing. The states with the most slum households are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Among big cities, Greater Visakhapatnam, Greater Mumbai, Vijayawada, Meerut and Nagpur have the most. So these cities also will have to lay specific emphasis on the issue, especially because they are generators of higher GDP and employment.

As a proactive step to address the issue, the Budget this year proposed setting up a Mission on Low Cost Affordable Housing, anchored in the National Housing Bank. A lot of coordination would be involved if this approach is to work, because state governments and city bodies along with other agencies involved will all have to be brought together on a single platform.

Finding the resources required for a task of this dimension is going to be a real challenge. One estimate says more than 100 million houses will have to be built by 2022 if the shortage in both urban and rural areas put together is to be met. Thirty million houses for the rural homeless by 2022 are estimated to cost Rs 3.45 lakh crore. This is more than double the current level of investment; and the investment must grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 18 to 20 per cent. Easier flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) is a facilitative measure assured by the government so that the required funds are available. As a follow-up, while the minimum built-up area required to attract FDI has been reduced and, similarly, the capital requirement also has been brought down, removal of the three-year lock-in for overseas investments is a point on which a decision is expected.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), generally used as instruments for pooling of investment in several countries, have also been identified as another means of finding resources for which incentives have been proposed. It is reported that if the taxation relief sought materialises, $10 billion of REIT can be listed by March 2015, because the top 18 developers have the type of stock which has this potential.

The Reserve Bank of India's recent measure, of bringing housing loans up to Rs 50 lakh under priority sector lending and some first-time home buyers becoming eligible for tax breaks, are positive steps for one segment that has to be provided with houses.

But how to make this happen for slum-dwellers, or those who do not have the required wherewithal to be able to borrow funds? Lack of any documented proof of income is one of the major hindrances to housing finance companies being able to lend to people belonging to the lower-income categories.

Deepak Parekh has distinguished between affordable housing and low-cost housing, the latter covering basically the LIG and EWS categories. The very definition of affordable housing will have to be well-structured,
because key elements like gross household income, cost of the tenement excluding land costs, size of the tenement, all will have to be factored in. It cannot be a single all-India definition.

How the state governments proactively find land for the purpose of constructing large numbers of such houses will be critical. Without making a city-wise assessment of the number of such people to be provided with houses and updating it on a dynamic basis, the agenda will not make the required progress. Urban local bodies need to be involved in this act even though housing is not a subject constitutionally mandated to them. Since there are different central bodies like the NHB, banks, HUDCO, construction technology agencies and the ministries themselves - at the state level also, there are a variety of organisations involved - an empowered, effective coordination and monitoring structure must be put in place by state governments.

National versus public interest All freedoms should be circumscribed by the context

These are times of "polarisation" in India, and last week saw three new kinds of it. Two unrelated events precipitated it - the Pakistani boat that mysteriously burnt up in the Indian Ocean and the Charlie Hedbo killings in Paris, France.

The first new polarisation was between liberal sophisticates and the yobbos. The sophisticates pronounced Charlie as Sharlie while the yobbos stuck to plain old Charlie.

The second new polarisation was between the majority who said "Yes, but..." and the minority who didn't. The "yes but" types opposed those who insisted that freedom of expression is absolute. (This is fine, except what if some people choose to express themselves by shooting you dead? Who is to decide which is okay - words or bullets)?

That, in context, is critical and must not be ignored. Culturally, this is the basic thought underlying the Indian approach, not just to the freedom of expression but almost all things.

The third polarisation

In an unexpected way, the Paris killings served the Government of India well. They took attention away from the Pakistan boat affair.

And that led to the third polarisation between those who speak for the national interest (and its narrow subset, national security) and those who speak for the public interest.

The distinction between national and public interest is a fine one. Governments have a non-negotiable need to keep some things secret in the national interest. Equally, the press has a pressing need to reveal some or all of those things in the public interest.

Everyone agrees that governments need not reveal genuine state secrets. But a problem arises when criminality and stupidity are sought to be covered up.

For example, what national interest is being served by, say, keeping the details of the Purulia arms drop case under wraps?

The same can be said of the press also. Paid news is certainly stupid because it is self-defeating. It is not criminal - yet. But it should be.

The context, silly

This tussle between governments and the press is not a new phenomenon but it took on a new avatar 43 years ago - on June 13, 1971 to be precise - when The New York Times published the secret Pentagon Papers.

These comprised a report prepared by the US defence department. It showed how at the end of the 1960s, the US government had secretly expanded the Vietnam War to Cambodia and Laos but had not told the US public about it.

Until then, the press had generally refrained from exposing whatever nastiness their governments had got up to, even if it knew about it. It just wasn't done, not cricket, not kosher, not the proper thing to do.

There have been many such episodes since then, the latest being the Edward Snowden papers in the UK and, of course, Julian Assange's Wikileaks.

In India, too, we have had many exposes, especially in the last few years leading to much discussion, spoken and written.

The issue in the ensuing debate is always the same, everywhere: if national and public interest are not the same, which of them is more important?

Remarkably, those who hold forth most on the subject - politicians, newspaper editors and TV news anchors - all use these terms interchangeably, depending on their immediate convenience.

Politicians have always ignored the difference. Those in the Opposition have ignored it in order to embarrass the government. Those in the government have ignored it to accuse the Opposition of being traitorous.

Newspaper editors have wrung their hands in anguish and waffled. This is because while they can't be seen taking the government's side, they nevertheless sympathise with it.

The most mischievous, and wilfully so, are the TV news anchors. They simply want to preside over cockfights at prime-time.

Historically, the national interest argument has always trumped the public interest one.

In spite of the huge liberal outcry, Daniel Ellsberg of the Pentagon Papers was tried but not convicted. Assange is on the run from the US government. Snowden, who leaked National Security Agency data that the US government was spying on US nationals, is living in Russia.

There are other less celebrated cases all over the world.

The truth is that governments are entitled to hide whatever they want to. Equally, it is up to the press to expose whatever it can.

That said, it is wrong of governments to hound people who expose it. But it is also wrong of journalists to make allegations under the guise of "we are only raising questions", which they know cannot, and will not, be answered.

President conveys sharp reminder on ordinance limits

Govt. must ensure extension of tenure after Parliament reconvenes

President Pranab Mukherjee reminded senior Ministers of the Narendra Modi government that the validity of an ordinance was for just six weeks after Parliament reassembled.

Mr. Mukherjee’s comments to the Ministers when they called on him to explain the urgency for promulgating three ordinances imply that the government will have to get these turned into Acts of Parliament. In order to do this, the government must get the contentious legislation passed either through the Rajya Sabha, where it doesn’t have the majority, or call a joint sitting of the two Houses.

The President told Ministers Arun Jaitley, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Nitin Gadkari at a recent meeting that it was up to the government to ensure that the validity of the legislation extended beyond the mandated six weeks after Parliament resumed, The Hindu has learnt.

Under Article 123 of the Constitution, the President has to satisfy himself that “circumstances exist” that require him to “take immediate action” when both Houses of Parliament are not in session. Also, an ordinance has the “same force and effect” as an Act of Parliament.

“They [the government] could call a joint session of Parliament, where they have a majority. But it would be better if the consensus route was adopted,” the former Attorney-General, Soli Sorabjee, told this newspaper.

In the absence of Rural Development Minister Birender Singh, the President is reported to have sought detailed clarifications from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the urgency of on the ordinance amending the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. While seeking reasons to justify the urgency of issuing this and two other ordinances amending the Motor Vehicles Act and the Citizenship Act, Mr. Mukherjee is said to have pointed out that the impact of the ordinances would be permanent.

Govt getting states on board for web-based labour portal

The Centre is working on getting state governments on board to implement the plan for a web-based labour compliance portal, to help make doing business in India easier.

“The Union labour ministry is getting actively involved in this process of helping states become part of the Shram Suvidha portal. This will help India improve its ranking in ease of doing business,” said a senior ministry official who did not wish to be named.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in October last year launched this portal, a common platform for employers to file their annual returns, besides compliance and inspection reports.

According to sources, the labour ministry had also conducted a workshop in New Delhi last month to create awareness about the portal; all state governments had participated.

“As many as 10 states have already shown interest in the portal. This is an initiative where the central government is putting a lot of effort,” said the official.

This integrated portal operates through a unique labour identification number (LIN) for each employer or establishment that is allotted after getting registered on the portal.

So far, LINs have been issued to around 750,000 units. And, according to the government’s latest estimates, 19,389 inspections had been generated until December 23 last year. Of those, 15,892, or 82 per cent, have already been uploaded on the Shram Suvidha portal.

The idea behind the unified portal, which initially covers 16 of the 44 central laws, is easing the compliance process for industry.

It makes it simpler for companies to file annual returns and inspection reports through easier formats. Instead of 16 separate returns, a common online return can be filed.

The government has also drafted amendments to 10 central labour laws, such as the Contract Labour Act, Minimum Wages Act and Payment of Wages Act, to include the provision for uploading returns over the portal on or before February 1 of every year.

Plan is to enhance ease of doing business in the country

Sindhushree Khullar appointed NITI Ayog's CEO

Sindhushree Khullar appointed NITI Ayog's CEO
The retired IAS officer has been appointed on contract basis for one year from January 1, 2015

Former Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the newly formed NITI Aayog on Saturday.

Khullar, a retired IAS officer, has been appointed on contract basis for a period of one year from January 1, 2015, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said. Khullar, a 1975 batch union territory cadre IAS officer, had taken over as Secretary Planning Commission in April 2012.  NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) has replaced 65-year-old Planning Commission.

Noted economist Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as the first Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog. Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat have already been appointed as full-time members by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is the Chairman of the body. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu and Radha Mohan Singh have been appointed as ex-officio members while Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Zubin Irani and Thaawar Chand Gehlot are the special invitees