Sangeeta Verma, an Economic Service officer of the 1981 batch, has been appointed as a member of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)..Verma had retired from the post of Principal Economic Adviser (Secretary level post) to the Union Department of Consumer Affairs in September this year..She entered the civil service after obtaining her BA degree from Delhi University in 1978. Following her entry into service, she has served as Economic Advisor for various Union Ministries and departments including the Union Ministry for Women and Child, Tribal Affairs Ministry, the Coal Ministry, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals and the Central Electricity Authority..She has also acted as the Economic Advisor for the Uttar Pradesh government in the Department of Finance..She has been appointed to the CCI for a tenure of five years..Last month, another 1981 batch officer, Ashok Kumar Gupta was tasked as the Chairman of the CCI, taking over from erstwhile Chairman Sudhir Mittal. Apart from Chairman Kumar, the CCI currently has Augustine Peter and UC Nahta as its members..Ashok Kumar Gupta is the new CCI ChairmanCyril Amarchand adds former CCI Chair Ashok Chawla to Strategic Advisory Board .Earlier this year, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to halve the size of CCI members (excluding the Chairperson) from six to three. The “rightsizing“ measure was aimed at minimising government interference in the affairs of the anti-trust body. As a result, with Verma’s appointment, the CCI is currently at full capacity i.e. one Chairperson and three members..On a related note, last week, the Bar Council of India (BCI) wrote to the CCI urging it to reconsider its constitution and appoint a judicial member as its head. The letter signed by BCI Co-Chairman, S Prabakaran highlights that the CCI was expected to ensure that it was headed by a judicial member, given that it performs adjudicatory functions. As such, it was argued that the CCI’s current composition is unconstitutional and requires review..Image Courtesy: Youtube
