New Appointments at NITI Aayog: Ashok
Lahiri Appointed Vice-Chairman and Gobardhan Das Appointed Member
¨ Union government is set
to appoint former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri as the new Vice-Chairman
of NITI Aayog.
¨
He will replace the
current Vice-Chairman, Suman Bery.
¨ Gobardhan Das, Director
of IISER Bhopal, is expected to be appointed as a member of NITI Aayog.
¨ These appointments are
taking place during the West Bengal Assembly elections, making them politically
significant.
Ashok Lahiri
¨
Currently a BJP MLA from
Balurghat, West Bengal.
¨
Not contesting the 2026
Assembly elections.
¨
Former professor at Delhi
School of Economics.
¨
Worked with international
institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
¨
Returned to India’s
Finance Ministry in the late 1990s.
¨
Former head of the
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP).
¨
Served as Chief Economic
Adviser to the Government of India.
Key points about Gobardhan Das
¨
Current Director of IISER
Bhopal.
¨
Former professor at
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
¨ Contested the 2021 West
Bengal Assembly elections from Purbasthali Uttar as a BJP candidate.
¨
Recognized as a Dalit
leader.
¨
His appointment is seen
as socially and politically significant, especially after reportedly facing
post-election violence in 2021.
