Rajiv Kumar steps down as Niti Aayog vice chairman, Suman Bery to take over from May 1
Kumar, an economist, had taken over as vice chairman of the Niti Aayog after Arvind Panagariya resigned from the post in August 2017.
Niti Ayog Vice Chairperson Rajiv Kumar has resigned from his post, DD News reported on Friday, citing a government order. Economist Suman Bery will take over as the new chief of the planning body on May 1.
In an order issued on Friday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said that the government has approved Kumar’s resignation and Bery’s appointment. Kumar will be relieved from the post on April 30, the order stated.
The order did not mention the reason for Kumar’s resignation.
Kumar, an economist, had taken over as vice chairman of the Niti Aayog after Arvind Panagariya resigned from the post in August 2017 to return to academics.
Bery has earlier served as director-general (chief executive) of the National Council of Applied Economic Research in New Delhi, according to PTI. He was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Statistical Commission and the Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.
Prior to his stint at the NCAER, Bery was an employee of the World Bank in Washington. His areas of expertise include macroeconomy, financial markets and public debt management with a focus on Latin America, according to The Indian Express.