Modi to meet Economic Advisory Council on Nov 10

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the members of his Economic Advisory Council (EAC) headed by Niti Aayog member Bibek Debroy, on November 10 even as the panel has finalised five key issues. Each of its five members will be preparing their reports on the same.

Sources privy to developments said that it will be the first meeting of the EAC with Mr Modi after he had set up the council on September 25 amid sluggish economic growth and concerns over falling private investment in the country.

The council is said to have identified issues like job creation & employment, economic growth and agriculture as key focus areas among five topics they were supposed to finalise before their second meeting. The reports on these five issues will be presented to the PM.

The meeting also comes just before the EAC's second meeting which is expected to take place next week. During its first meeting held on October 11, the EAC had shortlisted apart from the three issues mentioned above, sectors like fiscal framework, patterns of consumption & production, social sector, public expenditure, informal sector, and institutions of economic governance.

With Mr Modi keen on job creation, sources informed that the meeting is likely to focus on how job creation opportunities can be enhanced, especially in various informal sectors and north-east region. Also economic growth and agriculture are some of the issues. Principal advisor Niti Aayog Ratan Watal, economists like Surjit Bhalla, Ashima Goyal and Rathin Roy are the other members of the EAC.

EAC was formed just days after Mr Modi in September first week formed a task force on employment and exports headed by Niti Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar.

The task force, which includes government and private sector representatives, will submit its report by November. Its objective is to propose a comprehensive plan of action to generate employment and alleviate under-employment in various services sectors.