Former finance secretary Ashok Chawla was on Thursday sworn in as the new Chairman of the Competition Commission of India, filling up the key post that was lying vacant for over four months.
The appointment of a new Chairman is welcome, but one must wonder whether the former head of the Committee on Allocation, Pricing and Utilisation of Natural Resources is up to the task which he will now have to shoulder. The Commission has been subject to severe criticism in the past few months over the reasoning of its decisions and clearly requires an individual with not only a sound bent of logic and intelligence (which no doubt Mr. Chawla has), but also an individual with excellent knowledge and experience of competition law. Unfortunately, the latter characteristic is presently comparatively hard to find in India.
According to Hindustan Times, when asked about his mandate after taking charge, Chawla said, “It is difficult for me to prioritise any matter right now as I am yet to take a stock of the Commission.”
Also among the nominees was Mr. Anurag Goel, a Member of the Commission. With no intentions to demean Mr. Chawla, perhaps it would have been better to let an individual who has prior experience in the working of the Commission be made in charge of the regulatory authority.
It seems best to reserve judgement and to let the new Chairman’s work speak for itself.
Indian Competition and Anti-Trust Blog 