<div align="justify">BJP leader Syed Zafar Islam has been appointed as an independent director of Air India.<br /><br />The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved his appointment as non- official independent director for three years, said an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).<br /><br />Islam, a former investment banker, joined the BJP on April 5, 2014. He is at present national spokesperson of the party.<br /><br />Besides him, former chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) R K Tyagi has also been appointed as non-official independent director on the board of the national carrier.<br /><br />It is not for the first time that a BJP leader has been appointed on the board of a Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). In past, some of the party's leaders including Shazia Ilmi have also been given such postings.<br /><br />Ilmi, former leader of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was in January appointed as independent director in Engineers India Ltd (EIL). At present, she is the vice-president of the BJP Delhi unit.<br /><br />The saffron party's member from Gujarat, Asifa Khan, had also been made non-official independent director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).<br /><br />Existing norms by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandate companies to have at least 50 per cent of directors as non-executive or independent directors with at least one woman director.</div>
<div align="justify">BJP leader Syed Zafar Islam has been appointed as an independent director of Air India.<br /><br />The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved his appointment as non- official independent director for three years, said an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).<br /><br />Islam, a former investment banker, joined the BJP on April 5, 2014. He is at present national spokesperson of the party.<br /><br />Besides him, former chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) R K Tyagi has also been appointed as non-official independent director on the board of the national carrier.<br /><br />It is not for the first time that a BJP leader has been appointed on the board of a Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). In past, some of the party's leaders including Shazia Ilmi have also been given such postings.<br /><br />Ilmi, former leader of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was in January appointed as independent director in Engineers India Ltd (EIL). At present, she is the vice-president of the BJP Delhi unit.<br /><br />The saffron party's member from Gujarat, Asifa Khan, had also been made non-official independent director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).<br /><br />Existing norms by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandate companies to have at least 50 per cent of directors as non-executive or independent directors with at least one woman director.</div>