Gita Gopinath: IMF First Deputy Managing Director

The Indian American, Gita Gopinath has become the first Deputy Managing Director of International Monetary Fund. She is the first Indian to take up the top role in the organisation. First Deputy Managing Director is the second top post in IMF next to the Managing Director.

Who is Gita Gopinath?

• Gita Gopinath was the first female Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund.
• She was born in Kolkata in 1971. She completed her graduation in University of Delhi and her masters in Washington University and PhD in Princeton University.
• In 2018, she was appointed the Chief Economist of the IMF.
• She named the world wide recession of 2020 due to COVID-19 as “The Great Lockdown”.
• In 2021, she was named the First Managing Director of IMF. It is number 2 position in the organisation.

Awards

She was awarded the Parvasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019 by the President of India. The Parvasi Bharatiya Samman is presented on the Parvasi Bharatiya Divas. It is the highest award presented to the overseas Indians.

Position of Deputy Managing Director in IMF

IMF is managed by the Managing Director, First Deputy Managing Director and deputy managing directors. The First Deputy Managing Director in the IMF takes lead on conducting surveillance, flagship publications and oversee researches.

Role of Gita Gopinath in IMF

Under Ms Gopinath’s leadership, the IMF has contributed in multilateral surveillance through World Economic Outlook. Her plan to end COVID-19 crisis by vaccinating the world at feasible cost was a huge success.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2021