Taking another significant step towards the goal of downsizing the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped four cabinet committees including the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The other three cabinet committees were Cabinet Committee on Prices, the Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities and the Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation Matters.
The government’s notification said that UIDAI-related issues, functions of the Cabinet Committee on prices and world trade organisation matters will now be handled by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). While, natural calamities related issues will be handled by the Committee under the Cabinet Secretary whenever natural calamities occur. Earlier, the new government had also disbanded all the Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoMs) and Groups of Ministers (GoMs).
The move is a part of PM’s efforts to minimise decision-making processes. The previous government had twelve cabinet committees in place apart from dozens of groups of ministers and empowered groups of ministers. This complex ministerial structure had led to delay in taking decisions on policy matters across sectors and impeded the business sentiments in the country.
In other development to expedite the decision making process, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to reconstitute five top cabinet panels that deal with Security, Economic affairs, Political and Parliamentary affairs and appointments.