Image description

Following Rajiv Kumar's abrupt resignation, the government named Suman K Bery as vice chairman of NITI Aayog on Friday. Mr Bery will assume command on May 1, 2022, according to an official order.

On April 30, Rajiv Kumar's term will come to an end.

After the then-VC Arvind Panagariya left the government think-tank to return to academia, Mr Kumar, a distinguished economist, took over as vice chairman of NITI Aayog in August 2017.

Mr Kumar's resignation has been accepted, according to the order, and he will be relieved of his duties on April 30.

Mr Kumar was a crucial figure in the formation of NITI Aayog's policies, which included agriculture, asset monetisation, disinvestment, the aspirational districts programme, and electric vehicles, among other things. Kumar earned a DPhil and a PhD in economics from Oxford University and Lucknow University, respectively. He also worked at the Centre for Policy Research as a senior fellow (CPR).

Mr Bery previously worked at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in New Delhi as Director-General (Chief Executive).

He also served on the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, the Statistical Commission, and the Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy of the Reserve Bank of India.