NAC Full Form

NAC (National Advisory Council) is a 14-member panel composed of ex-bureaucrats, civil society people, academics, and attorneys. The Prime Minister of India chooses the members in collaboration with cabinet ministers. Their job is to assist in the creation of government laws. In Parliament, the ruling party proposes the NAC-drafted proposal. The legislation is enacted and implemented across the country after a series of debates in Parliament. The organization played a crucial role in developing legislation such as the Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

NAC 

NAC stands for National Advisory Council. The first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) administration established India’s National Advisory Council (NAC) to advise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sonia Gandhi served as its chairwoman for much of the UPA’s term. It helps the Institute achieve and track its mission and objectives.

The NAC makes suggestions to help the COSEE Network become more productive. Research scientists, officers of scientific societies and professional organizations, formal and informal science educators, state department of education staff, professional program evaluators, ocean-related foundation staff, and ocean-related industry-business-technology leaders make up the group’s diverse perspectives and expertise. The NAC now meets twice a year, once as part of the annual Network Meeting (first week of May) and as part of a COSEE Council meeting (first week of November).

History of NAC

NAC’s first significant piece of legislation was the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, or NREGA, which was created in conjunction with grassroots poverty-relief organizations. However, when the law was introduced in Parliament on December 21, 2004, civil society members of the NAC highlighted several concerns.

Following the widespread implementation of NREGA, the Congress Party acquired political clout. The scheme became a piece of hallmark legislation in Congress. The party’s leadership began pushing the measure at public gatherings to prove their commitment to disadvantaged people. Meanwhile, civil society groups pushed back against Congress’ assertion that it was the driving force behind the law, urging Parliament to keep the bill’s promise of guaranteed employment intact.

The fight between the NAC civil society contingent and government representatives is still ongoing. The leaders had also promised a powerful anti-corruption tool known as the Right to Information Act (RTI). The NAC was already working on the RTI law, which, like NREGA, was watered down before being brought to the House of Commons.

The RTI bill was enacted in Parliament with tremendous excitement on October 12, 2005.

Functions of NAC

The National Advisory Council (NAC) serves as a link between civil society in India and the government. The National Action Council (NAC) was established on June 4, 2004, by the Congress party to develop social policies for India’s underprivileged. The group comprises 13 people from diverse fields, including politics, science, and civil society. The National Action Council has worked on laws ranging from protecting minorities from communal assaults to empowering lower castes. Working groups are formed to prepare bills. Working groups range in size from three to 10 people, depending on the bill’s complexity.

The process of selection is essentially political. Members are appointed by the Prime Minister of India, in collaboration with their cabinet ministers, based on their experience in certain subjects. For example, Aruna Roy, a social activist who led an NGO that helped drought-stricken farmers find work, was named to the NAC in 2004 because the government required a robust rural employment model.

Controversies related to NAC

• The Departure of Jean Dreze 

After finishing work on the food security bill, the Belgian-born development economist departed the NAC. During his term, Dreze pushed for the poorest residents of India to have access to food, jobs, and knowledge. In the summer of 2011, Dreze resigned from the NAC, apparently due to the government’s failure to ensure that all Indians had access to food under the Food Security Bill.

• NAC Closely Aligned with the Congress Party

Because the council is heavily affected by members who have worked closely with the government, charges have been levelled that NAC bill draughts frequently follow the Congress party line. These claims were made public in 2011 by civil society activists who were not associated with NAC, such as Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Prashant Bhushan. An octogenarian social activist and self-appointed moralist who espouses extreme right-wing positions on social issues, Anna Hazare has staged an ostensibly grassroots agitation and hunger strike. Kejriwal, Sisodia, and Bushan have been the driving force behind the ostensibly grassroots agitation and hunger strike produced by Anna Hazare, an octogenarian social activist and self-appointed moralist who became a famous anti-corruption campaigner after fasting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

• Sonia Gandhi’s Dual Roles

The opposition coalition’s leader, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saw that Congress was acquiring political clout through the NAC. Sonia Gandhi’s integrity as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council was called into doubt by the BJP in early 2008. The BJP filed a lawsuit, known as the “Office of Profit” dispute. According to the Indian Constitution, no government person can hold two positions of authority simultaneously. Gandhi resigned from the NAC to silence the BJP because she was already a Member of Parliament, representing the Raebareli seat in Uttar Pradesh.

Conclusion

The NAC serves as an important tool for marginalized communities. The NAC was a vital part of the rural employment scheme’s creation and implementation. However, if the government does not push for necessary changes, it is still possible that the direct benefits of NREGA will be largely missed by its intended beneficiaries.