Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended his best wishes to the new Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Lahiri and other full-time members for their appointment to the government's apex policy think tank body. Modi met Lahiri earlier in the day in New Delhi in what was the latter's maiden official engagement in the role.
Taking to social media, the PM sent his wishes to the newly-appointed members. "NITI Aayog has emerged as a vital pillar in India’s policy-making architecture, fostering cooperative federalism, furthering reforms and boosting ‘Ease of Living.’ It serves as a dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across sectors," Modi wrote on X.
"The Government has reconstituted the NITI Aayog. My best wishes to Shri Ashok Kumar Lahiri Ji on becoming the Vice Chairman. My best wishes also to Shri Rajiv Gauba Ji, Prof. K. V. Raju Ji, Prof. Gobardhan Das Ji, Prof. Abhay Karandikar Ji and Dr M. Srinivas Ji on becoming Full Time Members of NITI Aayog. Wishing all of them a productive and impactful tenure ahead," he added.
Lahiri met Modi after taking charge
Meanwhile, Lahiri, who is also a BJP MLA from Bengal, met PM Modi in Delhi earlier in the day. The details of the meeting were not known, but it is understood to be important as the think tank has a key role in moulding India's economic policy framework.
Apart from Lahiri, another key name from Bengal, scientist Gobardhan Das, has been appointed as a full-time member of the think tank.
Meanwhile, Senior Advisor of the Information & Broadcasting, Dilip Mandal, also congratulated Lahir. "India's top economist, the die-hard Bengali Dr. Ashok Lahiri, who prepares khichdi prasad for the religious event of Ram Puja, will now be a key figure at NITI Aayog (formerly the Planning Commission)," he wrote on X.
"He will guide how the country's policies are shaped. This is a good selection by Prime Minister @narendramodi," he added.
Know all about Ashok Lahiri
An alumnus of the economics department at Presidency University, Kolkata, Ashok Lahiri has held research, teaching or leadership positions at the Delhi School of Economics, the Asian Development Bank, Bandhan Bank, and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
Know all about Gobardhan Das
A scientist and former BJP member who unsuccessfully contested the 2021 West Bengal polls from the Purbasthali Uttar constituency, Gobardhan Das is a prominent immunologist formerly at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who served as director of IISER Bhopal.
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