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Return of the Tech Czar Sam Pitroda
BY JOMY VARGHESE
 Tech
Czar Sam Pitroda is back. This time, the mission is to head
the high-profile Knowledge Commission, constituted by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
Pitroda's earlier stint in the echelons of power saw him
unleash the telecom revolution, during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure.
Pitroda will have the assistance of P M Bhargava, as vice
chairperson of the elite panel. The other members are Nandan
Nilekani of Infosys, educationists Deepak Nayyar, Ashok
Ganguly, Andre Beteille, Jayanti Ghosh and Pratap Bhanu Mehta.
Though according to stated official position the commission
is to advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to
institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and
knowledge dissemination, given Pitroda's stature and the clout
he wields in the Congress establishment, it is widely expected
that the panel would have far reaching powers.
The term of the commission is till October 2, 2008. The
importance given to the elite panel is further indicated in
that the panel would be assisted by the planning commission
and is expected to "interact" with various
ministries to handle "knowledge areas". The Pitroda
panel would also have at its services a technical services
group.
Apart from this, the panel would be "guided" by a
national steering group chaired by none other than Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh. HRD, Agriculture, Commerce and
Industry, communications and IT, Science and Technology
ministers and the deputy chairman of the planning commission
would be in this panel.
The commission's role includes promotion of knowledge
creation in science and technology laboratories, improving the
management of institutions generating intellectual property,
improving protection of intellectual property rights and
promoting knowledge applications in agriculture and industry.
What sort of a knowledge revolution Pitroda under Manomohan
would unleash? Only Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, who holds
50 patents in digital communications, would know.
BY JOMY VARGHESE
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