National Advisory Council (India)
The National Advisory Council (NAC) of India was a body set up by the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to advise the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. Sonia Gandhi served as its chairperson for much of the tenure of the UPA. It assists the Institute in achieving and monitoring its mission and goals. History. The NAC was set up on 4 June 2004 by prime minister Manmohan Singh, during the tenure of the first UPA government. Organization (2010–2014). The NAC - II consisted of a mix of activists, bureaucrats, economists, politicians and industrialists. The members  who served on the NAC and later resigned are Achievements. The NAC was responsible for the drafting of several key bills passed by both UPA governments, including the Right to Information Act, Right to Education Act, Employee Guarantee Act, and the Food Security Bill. Criticisms. The concept of a NAC has been criticised by opposition parties and some scholars as not being in keeping with India's constitution, because of the possibility that it might emerge as an alternative cabinet. However an alternative view was that the existence of the NAC could deepen democracy by facilitating greater pre-legislative/pre -policy consultation. The NAC also finalised draft recommendations for a mandatory pre-legislative consultative process which have remarkable potential to democratise lawmaking. It was heavily criticised for drafting the communal violence bill in 2011. The council ceased to exist when the BJP government took office after the 2014 Indian general elections.