‘Dimagi Naxal’ row revives debate over the NAC: What was it, and how influential was it?

The article explains the National Advisory Council (NAC), an advisory body formed during the UPA government (2004-2014) and chaired by Sonia Gandhi. It highlights the NAC's significant influence in shaping rights-based welfare legislation like the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and National Food Security Act (NFSA), despite being formally only an advisory body. The article also details the political controversies surrounding the NAC, including accusations of it being an "extra-constitutional" body and the "office of profit" debate, and how these criticisms are being revived in the current "Dimagi Naxal" discourse.