Ashok Kumar Lahiri appointed as new Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog

The Central Government has appointed economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. He will replace the current Vice Chairman, Suman K. Beri.

In addition to Mr. Lahiri, the government has appointed Rajiv Gauba, Prof. K. V. Raju, Prof. Gobardhan Das, Dr. M. Srinivas, and Prof. Abhay Karandikar as full-time members of NITI Aayog.

Unlike his predecessor, Beri, who was a professional economist and research administrator, Lahiri has extensive experience in administrative and electoral matters and is currently a BJP MLA in West Bengal.

As an economist, Lahiri has been known for advocating for better partnerships between the three levels of government—central, state, and local—and for efficiency in work at the grassroots level.

Ashok Kumar Lahiri

Lahiri served as the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) in the Central Government from October 2002 to June 2007.

He was appointed during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and continued in this position during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In Bengal, he has been a critic of communist governments and advocated for promoting entrepreneurship to revitalize the business environment in Bengal.

In addition to his position as CEA, he has also served as a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a consultant at the World Bank.

He also served as Director of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy from February 1998 to October 2002, a member of the 15th Finance Commission, and non-executive chairman of Bandhan Bank. He retired as Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank in June 2013.

In his book, 'India in Search of Glory,' Lahiri writes that while democracy has served India well in nation-building, the pace of socio-economic development has been slow in the first seven decades after independence.

NITI Aayog

On January 1, 2025, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) completes a decade of its existence, having been established on January 1, 2015. NITI Aayog replaced the former Planning Commission.

Composition of NITI Aayog:

Chairman: Prime Minister

Vice Chairman: Appointed by the Prime Minister

Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all States and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories.

Regional Council: The Prime Minister or his/her nominee chairs a meeting of Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors to address specific regional issues.

Ad-hoc Membership: Two ex-officio members from leading research institutions on rotation.

Ex-officio Membership: A maximum of four members of the Union Council of Ministers nominated by the Prime Minister.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO): A Secretary to the Government of India appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure.

Special Invitees: Experts from various fields nominated by the Prime Minister.

Key Initiatives and Indices of NITI Aayog:

Aspirational Districts Programme: It aims to rapidly and effectively transform India's 112 most underdeveloped districts.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): It is a major initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

Key Indices: It releases important reports such as the SDG India Index (Sustainable Development Goals), Fiscal Health Index, State Health Index, Composite Water Management Index, and Export Preparedness Index.