Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh will lead the committee on education, adding his experience to the oversight of key policies on education, women, children, youth, and sports….reports Asian Lite News
Senior Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Digvijaya Singh have been appointed to head key parliamentary standing committees, marking important roles for the party in the scrutiny of government policies and legislation. According to party sources, Tharoor will chair the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, a position he previously held from 2014 to 2019. His return to the role is particularly significant, as it comes after a five-year gap during which the Congress party had less influence in such critical committees.
Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh will lead the committee on education, adding his experience to the oversight of key policies on education, women, children, youth, and sports. These appointments come amid broader efforts by Congress to push for more inclusive governance, with a focus on social justice, as emphasized by Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
In addition to Tharoor and Singh, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been chosen to head the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture, animal husbandry, and food processing. Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka will chair the committee on rural development and Panchayati Raj. Both Channi, a Dalit leader, and Ulaka, representing a tribal community, were selected with social justice at the heart of the party’s decision-making, reflecting Congress’ commitment to empowering historically marginalized communities.
The Congress party has forwarded these names to lead four of the department-related parliamentary standing committees it has been assigned in the current Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions. While formal notifications are expected soon, these appointments were finalized after extensive negotiations between the government and opposition over control of key panels like external affairs, defense, finance, and home affairs.
Notably, Congress will regain the chairmanship of the external affairs committee after a hiatus, reinforcing its oversight role in India’s foreign policy. Additionally, K C Venugopal will continue as chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, another influential body that reviews government expenditure. These appointments highlight the ongoing bargaining between the government and opposition over the composition of critical parliamentary committees.
ALSO READ: US court summons Doval, ex-RAW chief, others in Pannun’s suit