Arvind Panagariya on Tuesday resigned as the vice chairman of the Niti Aayog. The economist said he will return to academics in the United States. He said August 31 will be last day in office, PTI reported.

The Indian-American economist said he intended to teach again as his leave from the Columbia University in New York City ends on September 5, the Hindustan Times reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the chairperson of Niti Aayog, has accepted his resignation.

The 64-year-old was among the front-runners for the post of the Reserve Bank of India’s governor. He has held a number of positions at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation. He has also been the chief economist at the Asian Development Bank.

Niti Aayog, or the National Institution for Transforming India, replaced the Planning Commission after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014.