18National Service (Hardship) Committee

(1) The Central Government shall constitute a National Service (Hardship) Committee consisting of a Chairman and two other members appointed by it.

(2) The Chairman of the National Service (Hardship) Committee shall be a person who is, or has been, or is qualified to be, a Judge of a High Court.

(3) The members of the National Service (Hardship) Committee shall hold office for a period of three years but shall be eligible for reappointment.

(4) The proceedings of the National Service (Hardship) Committee shall not be invalid by reason of any defect in the constitution of, or any vacancy in, such Committee.

(5) Any vacancy in the National Service (Hardship) Committee shall be filled by the Central Government in such manner as it may think fit.

(6) The Central Government may constitute Regional National Service (Hardship) Committees for such regions as it may think fit and on such constitution such Regional National Service (Hardship) Committees shall have all the powers, functions and privileges of the National Service (Hardship) Committee and shall be subject to the same provisions as are applicable to that Committee.

(7) The National Service (Hardship) Committee shall have power to regulate its own procedure with regard to any investigation under this Act and shall have for the purposes of such investigation the powers of a civil court while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), in respect of the following matters, namely:--

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents producible as evidence;

(c) receiving evidence on oath;

(d) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents;

(e) such other matters as may be prescribed.