Ravneet Kaur Steps Up As New Chairperson of India's Competition Watchdog

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has endorsed the appointment of Ravneet Kaur, an IAS officer from the 1988 Punjab cadre batch, as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

What Happened? The Department of Personnel & Training issued an order detailing that Kaur will serve in this role for five years from her first day on the job, or until she turns 65, or until they issue further orders, whichever comes first.

Kaur steps into the role nearly seven months after the previous full-time Chairman, Ashok Kumar Gupta, vacated the position on October 20 of the previous year. Observers of the CCI note the significance of Kaur’s appointment, as it ensures a quorum for the CCI and equips the competition watchdog with the capacity to take decisive actions against big tech companies and entities found guilty of anti-competitive conduct.

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The government started the search for Gupta’s successor in July of the previous year. However, the selection process encountered numerous challenges, leading the government to initiate a second round of selection after cancelling the first.

In the interim period following Gupta’s departure, the government appointed Sangeetha Verma, a Member of the CCI, as the acting Chairperson on October 25 of the last year.

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