New Delhi: The government on Friday reconstituted the Planning Commission, retaining Montek Singh Ahluwalia as deputy chairman of the country’s top planning body.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the chairman of the commission.

The government has inducted three new members, including former member of the prime minister’s economic panel, Saumitra Chaudhuri. The other new members are Narendra Jadhav, honorary vice-chancellor of Pune University, and Mihir Shah, secretary of Samaj Pragati Sahayog, a non-profit organization.

The government has also retained Abhijit Sen, Syeda Hameed and B. K. Chaturvedi as members.

The members who did not figure in the new list are Kirit Parikh, V. L. Chopra, B. Mungekar and B. N. Yugandhar.

A close confidant of Singh, Ahluwalia was instrumental in framing India’s response to the global financial crisis and represented the country at important meetings such as at the group of 20 nations.

An important task before the new panel would be to undertake a mid-term review of the 11th five year plan aimed at raising economic growth to 9% by March 2012.

In the current fiscal to 31 March, the Reserve Bank of India has projected a growth rate of 6%. Also, President Pratibha Patil, in her address to Parliament on Thursday, said: “The current financial year is expected to see a slowing down of growth on account of global recession.”