Lalitha Kumaramangalam appointed NCW chairperson

NEW DELHI: The women and child development ministry on Wednesday announced that BJP national executive member Lalitha Kumarmangalam will be chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). A political appointee is back in the office with the ministry’s plans to appoint a retired judge temporarily stalled.
The ministry had proposed giving the Commission powers of a civil court which necessitated amendments to the NCW act.The amendment bill is however still with the law ministry.
WCD minister Maneka Gandhi said that Kumarmangalam ran a NGO Prakriti and was based in Tamil Nadu. She added that the Kumarmangalam was former union minister Mohan Kumarmangalam's daughter.
When asked if the new appointee had any political affiliations, Gandhi said, "Miss Kumarmangalam does have affiliations but not... in the sense that she has stood for elections twice, but that's about it."
Kumarmangalam contested Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket in 2004 and 2009 but lost both times.
Asked about the reasons for the choice, Gandhi replied that "This has been decided by the government and the Prime Minister. I know her, I have met her and she is very strong, very forceful in her advocacy of women's needs. I am sure she will be a great asset to the NCW."
When asked about her idea to appoint a judge as the chairperson of NCW, Gandhi replied, "It is in a state of limbo."
She also dismissed suggestions that there was a communication gap between WCD and law ministries. "I don't think there is a communication gap. I think they have their views on it and perhaps we should at some point work through those views," the minister said.