Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been appointed to head the Standing Committee on External Affairs, bringing his extensive experience in international relations to the forefront of parliamentary discussions. Tharoor, a seasoned politician and author, is expected to guide the committee through critical issues facing India’s foreign policy.
Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh has been appointed to head the Standing Committee on Education. With a strong emphasis on educational reform and access, Singh's leadership is anticipated to drive discussions around improving the quality of education across the country.
Additionally, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will lead the parliamentary panel on agriculture. In another notable appointment, Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka will take charge of the panel on rural development.
Channi, who is a Dalit, and Ulaka, who hails from a tribal community, were chosen by the party with social justice being the centrepiece of all recent appointments.
Significantly, the Congress will chair the crucial committee on external affairs after a gap of five years. Tharoor had also headed the panel on external affairs between September 2014 and May 2019.
The Congress will chair the Department Related Standing Committee on External Affairs; Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing; Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in the Lok Sabha; and Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports in the Rajya Sabha.
Department-related standing committees deal with various Union ministries and scrutinise their budgetary allocations and bills introduced in Parliament. They also recommend the government to bring bills and make policies on important issues.
