In a major administrative shake-up, the Modi Government on Thursday brought in a new team at the Finance Ministry by inducting eminent US-based economist Arvind Subramanian as the new Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) to the Prime Minister and appointed Chief Secretary of Rajasthan Raiv Mehrishi as Economic Affairs Secretary. Mehrishi replaces Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram, who also doubled up as Economic Affairs Secretary.
Expenditure Secretary Ratan P Watal, who is the senior most among all the five Secretaries in the Finance Ministry, is likely to be the new Finance Secretary.
The Centre also transferred at least 21 high-ranking bureaucrats, many at the level of Secretary, the senior-most rank in the country’s civil service.
1978-batch IAS officer Mayaram was appointed by the previous Congress-led Government. He has been shifted to the low profile Tourism Ministry. The current Tourism Secretary, Parvez Diwan, is slated to retire at the end of the month.
Mehrishi’s transfer to the Centre comes less than a year after he was called back to Rajasthan as Chief Secretary. The decision bears the stamp of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, with whom he has worked before. Mehrishi will join as Economic Affairs Secretary from November 1.
US-based economist Subramanian was selected as India’s CEA, a post which had been lying vacant since Raghuram Rajan’s elevation as RBI Governor.
Subramanian, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, was informally recommended for his new post by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley more than a month ago.
Subramanian worked closely with Rajan at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Oxford-educated Subramanian is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad.
Anil Swarup, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been brought in as new Coal Secretary. Swarup, who is working in Cabinet Secretariat, will replace SK Srivastava, after his superannuation on October 31.
Alok Rawat, a 1977 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre, has been appointed Secretary in Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Department of Pensions and Pensioners Welfare. Rawat is presently Secretary in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Prabhu Dayal Meena, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. Meena, who is presently Special Secretary in Department of land Resources, will replace Sangita Gairola, who retires this month-end.
Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. Bishnoi is presently Additional Secretary in Department of Defence.
Ashok Kumar Angurana, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Jammu & Kashmir cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Angurana is presently working as Managing Director, TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The Government has appointed Vinod Agrawal, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, as Secretary in National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). Agrawal is presently working as Adviser, Inter State Council Secretariat under Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet also approved the repatriation of N Ravi Shanker, a 1980 batch IAS of Uttarakhand as Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to his cadre.