Section 4 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006
- (1)The Central Government shall appoint the Chairperson and other members of the Board from amongst persons of eminence in the fields of petroleum and natural gas industry, management, finance, law, administration or consumer affairs: Provided that no person shall be appointed as Member (Legal) unless he--
- (a)is qualified to be a Judge of a High Court; or
- (b)has been a member of the Indian Legal Service and has held a post in Grade I of that Service for at least three years.
- (2)The Central Government shall, for the purposes of selecting the Chairperson and other members of the Board and for preparing a panel of persons to be considered for appointment as the Technical Member (Petroleum and Natural Gas) of the Appellate Tribunal, constitute a Search Committee consisting of--
- (i)Member, Planning Commission in charge of the energy sector-Chairperson;
- (ii)Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas-Member;
- (iii)Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic AffairsMember;
- (iv)Secretary to the Government of India in charge of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry-Member; and
- (v)Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice-Member.
Summary
- The Central Government must pick Board members who are eminent in fields like the petroleum industry, management, finance, law, administration, or consumer affairs.
- The Member Legal must either be qualified to be a High Court Judge or have been in the Indian Legal Service holding a Grade I post for at least three years.
- A Search Committee is formed to select the Chairperson, members, and a technical member for the Appellate Tribunal.
- This Search Committee is led by the Planning Commission member in charge of the energy sector.
- Other members of the Search Committee include Government Secretaries from Petroleum, Finance, Commerce, and Legal Affairs.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Can anyone be appointed to the Board?
No, appointees must be persons of eminence in specific fields like the petroleum industry, finance, law, or consumer affairs.
2. What are the strict rules for the Legal Member?
They must be qualified to be a High Court Judge, or have been in the Indian Legal Service with at least three years in a Grade I post.
3. Who decides which candidates get considered for the Board?
A specially constituted Search Committee made up of high-ranking government officials prepares a panel of persons.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 4 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, which of the following is a valid qualification for the Member Legal?
Q2.Under Section 4 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, who acts as the Chairperson of the Search Committee?
Q3.Under Section 4 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, which government department's Secretary is NOT explicitly listed as a member of the Search Committee?
Q4.Under Section 4 of The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, from which backgrounds must the general members of the Board be selected?