Panel formed to advise on finance commission's terms of reference
New Delhi, May 9: The 15th Finance Commission on Wednesday set up an advisory council to assist it in matters related to its terms of reference (ToR).
The panel, to be headed by Forum for Strategic Initiatives President Arvind Virmani, will advise the commission on all relevant issues and subjects and help conduct research studies to enhance the commission's understanding of issues in its ToR, an official statement said.
It will also "help in broadening the commission's ambit and understanding to seek best national and international practices on matters pertaining to fiscal devolution and improving the quality and reach and enforcement of its recommendations", it added.
The other members of the advisory council include Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council member (part-time) Surjit Bhalla, Ex-Deputy Director (Fiscal Affairs Department) of International Monetary Fund Sanjeev Gupta, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy professor Pinaki Chakraborty, JP Morgan's Chief India Economist Sajjid Chinoy and Credit Suisse India economist and strategist Neelkanth Mishra.
On Monday, a meeting of 11 state finance ministers held in Amaravati described the Finance Commission's ToR as undermining the federal structure and decided to seek President Ram Nath Kovind's intervention to reframe them.
They claimed that the ToR almost penalises states for being progressive and well-performing.
On Tuesday, Congress leader P. Chidambaram urged the finance ministers of all states to sign a memorandum against the ToR.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
