JALANDHAR: Even as there is hype around nationalism and national integration, there is no clarity about the fate of the
National Integration Council (NIC), last meeting of which was held in September 2013 during the UPA-II government. Even as there has been no meeting of the
NIC after the NDA came to power, in response to a query under the
RTI Act the Union home ministry has said reconstitution of the council was under consideration of the government.
Constituted in 1961 when
Jawaharlal Nehru was the PM, so far 16 meetings of the NIC have been held with the last being held in September 2013 during UPA-II rule.
Nawanshahr-based RTI activist Parvinder Singh Kitna had sent an RTI application on December 8, 2017, to the Union home ministry, asking, "If the NIC is functional or not after PM
Narendra Modi formed his government, which organization is working for promotion of national integration in the country if the NIC is not functional and details of steps taken by the
Modi government to promote national integration in the country."
He had also sought copies of the documents related to the these queries. However, in its response to all queries, a public information officer (PIO) of the home ministry said, "The reconstitution of the council is under consideration of the government."
Kitna pointed out that home minister
Rajnath Singh while speaking at the meeting of the NIC in 2008 had said the meeting of the NIC was very important and the whole country was looking forward to it. He had also said the then Union government did not appear serious about this meeting.
Representative image
