Govt panel shortlists some potential candidates for chief economic advisor

After months of radio silence on the appointment of a new chief economic advisor (CEA), a panel headed by former Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan has shortlisted some potential candidates, a source said on Tuesday. The candidates were shortlisted after a round of interviews and there will be more interviews to narrow the field even further, the source said. 

Former CEA Arvind Subramanian cut short his extended tenure in August, which was supposed to last till May 2019, and went back to academia in the United States. Since then, there has been feverish speculation on who the next CEA will be, with names of a number of well-known economists cropping up. A panel was appointed, with Jalan as its head, to identify the next CEA, which will then be recommended to the government. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi will need to give the final stamp of approval for the appointment. 

The panel also includes Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Garg and the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, C Chandramouli.