Patna,(BiharTimes): As per assurance the Centre on Wednesday set up an expert committee to evolve a composite index to measure backwardness of states.

The six-member committee is headed by Raghuram G Rajan, Chief Economic Adviser. It would submit its report within 60 days.

The other members of the committee are Shaibal Gupta (member-secretary of Patna-based Asian Development Research Institute), Bharat Ramaswami, Najeeb Jung (VC of Jamia Millia Islamia), Nirija G Jayal and Tuhin Pandey.

According to a Finance Ministry statement it has been decided to constitute an Expert Committee to consider backwardness of the States in terms of measures like distance of the State from the national average under criteria such as per capita income and other human development indicators and for evolving a Composite Development Index of States.

The terms of reference of the committee will be issued separately, it added.

The committee set up in pursuant to the Budget announcement, can invite other experts as Special Invitees for deliberations.

The present criteria for determining backwardness are based on terrain, density of population and length of international borders.

It needs to be recalled that in his Budget 2013-14 speech on Feb 26 last, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had proposed to evolve new criteria and reflect them in future planning and devolution of funds.