GoI extends tenure of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

Central government has extended tenure of NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Amitabh Kant, by one year. His tenure will now end in June 2022. Extension order was issued by Department of Personnel and Training after it was approved by Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Who is Amitabh Kant?

He is a 1980 batch retired IAS officer of Kerala cadre. He has been at helm of policy think tank of government since 2016. Before joining NITI Aayog, he was Secretary in Government of India. He was handling industrial policy and promotion. Following his superannuation, he was appointed CEO and he will continue till 2022. He is known for his reformist mind and articulation & marketing strategies. He is the key player involved at top level in policy related matters like industrial development, technology and investment.

NITI Aayog

It is a public policy think tank of Government of India which was established in 2015 by replacing the planning commission with the aim of achieving sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by involving State Governments in economic policy-making process. Some of its initiatives include AMRUT, 15-year road map, 7-year vision, strategy & action plan, Digital India, Medical Education Reform, Atal Innovation Mission etc.

Background

Independent Evaluation Office submitted a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with recommendation to replace Planning Commission with a “control commission” on 29 May 2014. Following the recommendations, Union Cabinet scrapped Planning Commission in August 2014. A Cabinet resolution was passed on January 1, 2015 to replace Planning Commission NITI Aayog which stands for National Institution for Transforming India.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2021