Knowledge panel brawl takes ugly turn

Pitroda wants Bhargava out; Left plans to complain to PM against Pitroda

The scuffle within Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s pet National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has reached a crescendo with its chairman Sam Pitroda demanding vice chairman PM Bhargava’s resignation and the Left parties planning a broadside against Pitroda. For long, the two have been involved in a tussle, which came to the open in a DNA exclusive on January 7.

Exchange of emails between the chairman and the vice chairman (copies of which are available with the DNA) reveal that Pitroda asked for Bhargava’s resignation on January 13, the day after the NKC submitted a ‘report to the nation’. Despite being in Delhi on that day, Bhargava had boycotted the function held at the Prime Minister’s residence.

Pitroda called up Bhargava on phone, asking him to put in his papers. Bhargava, who was having major differences with Pitroda’s style of functioning - especially in sending the NKC report on higher education to the PM without his knowledge - asked the chairman to put the resignation demand on the record.

In a mail dated January 14, with subject line ‘your desire for my resignation,’ Bhargava wrote: “This refers to your call to me yesterday when I was in Delhi, asking me to resign from the NKC. As I had mentioned to you then, would you kindly send me a (signed) letter by fax asking me to do so, so that I may go to the Prime Minister with it for his advice…Till the time he desires me to leave the NKC, I will of course continue to work…”

Within seven hours, Pitroda replied: “Thanks. Will do it in a day.” The NKC chairman, however, is yet to do so. When DNA contacted him, Pitroda said: “These are internal matters and I would not like to comment.” Bhargava continues to be belligerent. “Sam has no authority to ask me to resign. I was appointed by the PM and not Sam Pitroda. There are millions in the country who support me.”

Bhargava has found support in the Left parties, which are planning to take up the matter with the PM. “Pitroda does not understand the Indian ground realities. We are concerned about the functioning of the NKC and the CPI (M) is with us. We will convey our displeasure to the PM,” said CPI national secretary D Raja, who expects the support of the CPI (M) on the matter.

Know your Knowledge Commission
In 2005, Manmohan Singh constituted the National Knowledge Commission as a think-tank to consider possible policy that might sharpen India’s comparative advantage in the knowledge-intensive service sectors.

The Commission was to advise the PMO on policy related to education, research institutes and reforms needed to make India competitive in the knowledge economy. It was also to recommend reform of the education sector, research labs, and intellectual property legislation; as well as consider whether the government could itself upgrade its use of the latest techniques to make its workings more transparent.

In May 2006 the Commission spoke out against the HRD Ministry’s plans to increase quotas for backward castes in institutions such as the IITs. Following HRD minister Arjun Singh remarks on their credentials, two of the members, Andre Béteille and Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta, resigned.

The Commission has already submitted recommendations on e-governance and their suggestions have been incorporated in the National e-governance Plan.