NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday recast the almost defunct Prime Minister's council on climate change, a move seen as an effort to handle climate issues pro-actively from the top. The revamped body is to meet soon to take key policy decisions ahead of the Lima climate conference next month.

Environmentalist Sunita Narain has been dropped from the body — an apparent reflection of the Centre's discomfiture with civil society concerns on environment and forest issues. Narain, who heads Delhi-based NGO Centre for Science and Environment, was in the council constituted by UPA-I in 2007. For the past three years, however, the body hasn't met even once.

Three other non-government members in the previous Council have retained their place. They are: Intergovernmental panel on climate change chairman R K Pachauri, economist Nitin Desai and retired diplomat Chandrasekar Dasgupta.

The fourth member from outside the government is retired IAS officer and an advisor in Observer Research Foundation, J M Mauskar. Though a new entrant, he has experience of environmental issues and climate change negotiations, just like Dasgupta and Desai.

READ ALSO: Government reconstitutes PM's council on climate change

The reconstitution of the body under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the decision to hold its meeting soon are being seen as welcome steps at a time when India appears firm to take measures to face the challenges of climate change.

Narain too welcomed the move. "We are happy that the Prime Minister's council on climate change has been reconstituted. We hope that the council will work towards developing an ambitious national plan on climate change.

"The council has a major task of developing a pragmatic leadership role for India in the global climate negotiations so that we have an ambitious climate deal in 2015 in Paris. The CSE will provide all support and assistance to the council to achieve these goals," she said.

The council under Modi will help formulate action plans in assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change in the country. It will also evolve a coordinated response to these issues and periodically monitor key policy decisions.

Former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata's exclusion is procedural as he was on the previous panel as chairman of the Investment Commission — a body that no longer exists.

The other members of the council are: finance minister Arun Jaitley, environment minister Prakash Javadekar, water resources minister Uma Bharti, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu, minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh and MoS (power, coal and renewable energy) Piyush Goyal.

The cabinet secretary, foreign secretary, environment secretary and chairperson of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) are the other members, with the principal secretary to PM as the member-convenor.