Ratan P Watal appointed as principal adviser for social sector in NITI Aayog

Former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal has been appointed as Principle Adviser for social sector in NITI Aayog. He has been appointed to the post for three years.
His appointment comes after his two-month extended tenure as Finance Secretary ended in April 2016. He was to retire in February 2016, but got a two-month extension.
Mr. Watal is a retired IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre of a 1978-batch. He had served as Finance Secretary between August 2015 and April 2016.

About NITI Aayog

• National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) is premier policy think tank of Union Government. It has had replaced erstwhile six decade old Planning Commission.
• Its aim is to foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process of the state governments and has adopted a bottom-up approach in planning.
• Noted Economist Arvind Panagariya is Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog. Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat are its full-time members.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2016