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Pro-reform economist Arvind Panagariya was on Monday appointed vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, while economist Bibek Debroy and former defence (R&D) secretary V K Saraswat have been made full-time members of the body that replaced the 65-year-old Planning Commission.
As the chairman of the Aayog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appointed ex-officio members and special invitees to the new body.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh have been made ex-officio members of the new institution, according to a statement on Monday.
Road and Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot have been appointed special invitees. The governing council of the Aayog would also include chief ministers and lieutenant-governors.
Panagariya (62) is a professor of economics at Columbia University. The Planning Commission had a deputy chairman; while prime minister Narendra Modi is its chairman. “The names of other part-time members and experts will also be announced soon once the Vice-chairman formally takes office,” a senior official said. He said the new members and the vice-chairman might take charge this week itself.
Panagariya has served as the chief economist of the Asian Development Bank and was professor of economics and co-director, Center for International Economics, University of Maryland at College Park. Panagariya holds a PhD in economics from Princeton University, and has also worked for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in various capacities. “Panagariya will give new direction to India's economic policies and take the NITI Aayog to new heights,” said Rajiv Kumar, a senior fellow with the Centre for Policy Research.
The formation of the NITI Aayog was announced on January 1. It will serve as a policy think tank for the Centre and the state governments. The body will have specific regional councils. Experts and specialists from various fields will be “special invitees nominated by the prime minister”.
NITI Aayog will serve as a “directional and policy dynamo” and will provide the government strategic and technical advice on key policy matters.
While announcing the formation of the NITI Aayog, Modi had tweeted: “A pro-people, pro-active & participative development agenda stressing on empowerment & equality is the guiding principle behind NITI Aayog. Through NITI Aayog, we bid farewell to a ‘one size fits all’ approach towards development. The body celebrates India’s diversity & plurality.”
The NITI Aayog, he said, will emerge as an active and important institution that will play a pivotal role in India’s development journey in the years to come.
The government had set up the new body through a Cabinet resolution. According to the resolution, the Aayog will provide a national agenda for the prime minister and chief ministers to foster cooperative federalism while recognising that “strong states make a strong nation”. It will also interact with national and international think tanks, and with educational and policy research institutions.
As the chairman of the Aayog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appointed ex-officio members and special invitees to the new body.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh have been made ex-officio members of the new institution, according to a statement on Monday.
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Road and Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot have been appointed special invitees. The governing council of the Aayog would also include chief ministers and lieutenant-governors.
Panagariya (62) is a professor of economics at Columbia University. The Planning Commission had a deputy chairman; while prime minister Narendra Modi is its chairman. “The names of other part-time members and experts will also be announced soon once the Vice-chairman formally takes office,” a senior official said. He said the new members and the vice-chairman might take charge this week itself.
Panagariya has served as the chief economist of the Asian Development Bank and was professor of economics and co-director, Center for International Economics, University of Maryland at College Park. Panagariya holds a PhD in economics from Princeton University, and has also worked for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in various capacities. “Panagariya will give new direction to India's economic policies and take the NITI Aayog to new heights,” said Rajiv Kumar, a senior fellow with the Centre for Policy Research.
The formation of the NITI Aayog was announced on January 1. It will serve as a policy think tank for the Centre and the state governments. The body will have specific regional councils. Experts and specialists from various fields will be “special invitees nominated by the prime minister”.
NITI Aayog will serve as a “directional and policy dynamo” and will provide the government strategic and technical advice on key policy matters.
While announcing the formation of the NITI Aayog, Modi had tweeted: “A pro-people, pro-active & participative development agenda stressing on empowerment & equality is the guiding principle behind NITI Aayog. Through NITI Aayog, we bid farewell to a ‘one size fits all’ approach towards development. The body celebrates India’s diversity & plurality.”
The NITI Aayog, he said, will emerge as an active and important institution that will play a pivotal role in India’s development journey in the years to come.
The government had set up the new body through a Cabinet resolution. According to the resolution, the Aayog will provide a national agenda for the prime minister and chief ministers to foster cooperative federalism while recognising that “strong states make a strong nation”. It will also interact with national and international think tanks, and with educational and policy research institutions.
