On Board Air India One (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an economist turned politician, on Saturday said former Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani's appointment as head of a government project was "only a beginning" and there was room for more intellectuals in governance.

"I would like to involve more intellectuals in the governance process," he told reporters while returning from the G8-G5 summit in Italy.

Referring to Mr. Nilekani's appointment last month as chairman of the government's ambitious National Authority for Unique Identity, the prime minister said: "This is only a beginning."

Mr. Manmohan Singh noted that the move to rope in the IT industry leader "has been widely welcomed".

"There is an enormous reserve of intellectuals available in the country who were outside the political system," he said.

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