Government reconstituted NITI Aayog: Ashok Kumar Lahiri will be the Vice Chairman, PM Modi congratulated

New Delhi. The government has reconstituted the NITI Aayog and appointed Ashok Kumar Lahiri as vice chairman and five full-time members, including economist KV Raju, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director M Srinivas and Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Abhay Karandikar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the new full-time members, including Lahiri and scientist Gobardhan Das and former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, all the best for their tenure.

Prime Minister Modi posted on social media platform

The Prime Minister said that NITI Aayog has emerged as an important pillar in India’s policy framework, working to promote cooperative federalism, pursue reforms and encourage ease of living. “It serves as a dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across diverse sectors,” he said.

The Prime Minister is the Chairman of NITI Aayog. After the appointment, Lahiri met the Prime Minister on Saturday. Lahiri is a senior economist with over four decades of experience. He is currently a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from West Bengal and has been a former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India and a member of the 15th Finance Commission. He is not a candidate in the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

KV Raju is a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and is also the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Abhay Karandikar is currently the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology. Before this he had been the Director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Gobardhan Das is the Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal. Earlier, he was working as Professor and Chairman of the Special Center of ‘Molecular Medicine’ at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

M Srinivas is the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the country’s premier medical institute, and has over three decades of experience in the academic, administrative and research fields. After the appointment, Lahiri met the Prime Minister on Saturday and expressed his gratitude. The Prime Minister said his wide-ranging experience in economics and public policy will strengthen India’s reforms and journey towards a ‘developed India’.

He said, “I am confident that his efforts will further strengthen policy making in the country. My best wishes to him for a successful tenure.” The Prime Minister also congratulated Gobardhan Das on being made a member of NITI Aayog and said, “Your journey, which has been full of tireless work and humility, is inspiring for all. The entire nation is proud of your significant contributions in the areas of public health, science and innovation. My best wishes for your tenure.”

Lahiri said that he will work on this important post with full honesty and good intentions with policy, determination and dedication as per the vision of the Prime Minister. “We will be successful in all three,” he said. Das also thanked the Prime Minister for giving him the opportunity to serve as a member of NITI Aayog. He said, “Today is a very important day in my life. I belong to a simple farmer family from a remote village in West Bengal.”

He said on social media ‘X’, “Since childhood, the fragrance of soil, the importance of hard work and the truth of struggle have been a part of my life. Today’s responsibility is not just a post for me, but a reflection of the dreams, hopes and faith of countless ordinary people like me.” Das said that he believes that for the development of the country, it is necessary to improve the living standards of remote areas, farmers and common people.

“For this purpose, I promise to work with complete honesty, dedication and responsibility under the guidance of the Prime Minister,” he said. He said, “I expect everyone’s blessings and cooperation.” Lahiri replaces Suman K Berry, who was the vice chairman of NITI Aayog from May 2022.