NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant was on Wednesday granted a two-year extension, reported PTI. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extended Kant’s tenure from June 30, 2019, to June 30, 2021, PTI reported.

The government also appointed Indian Police Service officer Samant Goel the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing, ANI reported. Another IPS officer, Arvind Kumar, was appointed the director of the Intelligence Bureau. Both appointments are for a period of two years.

Goel, a 1984-batch IPS officer, will succeed Anil Dhasmana as the R&AW chief, The Times of India reported. On the other hand, Kumar will replace Rajiv Jain. Both Dhasmana and Jain had got six-month extensions after their terms expired on December 31, 2018.

Goel, who was earlier the second most senior officer in R&AW, is said to have played an important role in planning the Balakot strikes. The Indian Air Force said its jets struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot on February 26, in retaliation to the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans in Pulwama on February 14.