In an effort to build up a wide-ranging support for the reforms programme of the government, the finance ministry and the Asian Development Bank have launched a research funding programme across the country.
The $1.5 million initiative will fund research in six major economic areas under a programme called Policy Networking Initiative.
Chief Economic Advisor Ashok Lahiri said it will bring together experts from IIMs, NIPFP, NCAER and other research institutions, industry, government and other stake holders to build an informed consensus on the next stage of policy reforms.
He said the areas to be covered include macroeconomic management and government finances, state government finances, agriculture and food security, trade policy and industrial performance, policy priorities for transport infrastructure, and for energy infrastructure development.
The government representatives will include other than finance ministry, experts from RBI, selected line ministries and Planning Commission.
The committees will have a two years' time to submit their final recommendations.
According to ADB officials, this is for the first time the Bank has supported such a venture in any country.
The impetus for the Policy Networking Initiative comes from the feedback received from the various states about the reluctance of the intellectual circle to support the often difficult reforms.
The Bank is hopeful that since the project will be driven by Indians, there will be a better appreciation of the different aspects of the aid initiatives.
The committee on trade and industrial performance is chaired by Vijay Kelkar, while the one on energy is chaired by ONGC chairman Subir Raha.
Lahiri said inspite of the plethora of research that was already available on lots of economic topics on the country, there were still major gaps that needed to be filled up.
He also said that the deliberations will be useful inputs into the government's policy making exercise.
He also said that the Initiative will not diminish the role of Planning Commissionand other existing bodies.
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