Eminent Economist Arvind Panagariya appointed as NITI Aayog vice-chairman
Eminent free-market economist Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as Vice-chairman of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
NITI Aayog is established by government to function as both a think tank and a policy forum and replaces decades year old Planning Commission.
As a vice chairman, he will play a pivotal role in coordinating economic strategy and hold position similar to cabinet rank minister.
About Arvind Panagariya
- He is an Indian-American economist and Professor of Economics at Columbia University. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from prestigious Princeton University.
- He was an ex-Chief Economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
- He has also worked for the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in various capacities.
- He has written around 10 books and the latest was India: The Emerging Giant published in 2008.
Other Appointments of NITI Aayog
Full-Time Members:
- Bibek Debroy- Economist.
- V.K. Saraswat- Former Secretary Defence R&D.
Ex-officio members:
- Rajnath Singh- Union Home Minister.
- Arun Jaitley- Union Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting Minister.
- Suresh Prabhu- Union Minister of Railways.
- Radha Mohan Singh- Union Minister of Agriculture.
Special Invitees:
- Nitin Gadkari- Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping.
- Thawar Chand Gehlot-Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Smriti Zubin Irani- Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD).
Month: Current Affairs - January, 2015