Top News

Modi government overhauls NITI Aayog: Who are the new members?
26 Apr 2026

The Indian government has given a major overhaul to NITI Aayog, by appointing noted economist Ashok Lahiri as its new Vice-Chairman.

The move comes with the induction of four other full-time members into the think tank.

They are M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi; Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of Science and Technology; K V Raju, Professor Emeritus at Chanakya University; and Gobardhan Das, Director of IISER Bhopal.

Prime Minister Modi backs Lahiri's appointment
Visionary goals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the ex-officio Chairman of NITI Aayog, expressed confidence in Lahiri's appointment.

He said, "His rich experience in economics and public policy will greatly strengthen India's reform journey and the journey toward becoming a Viksit Bharat."

The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of NITI Aayog as a key player in India's policy-making architecture.

Who is Ashok Lahiri?
Profile

Lahiri, an outgoing MLA in the West Bengal assembly, was elected on a BJP ticket from Balurghat (Dakshin Dinajpur) assembly constituency.

He has served as a member of the 15th Finance Commission and was the 12th Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India.

His other notable positions include Reader at Delhi School of Economics (DSE), Chairman of Bandhan Bank, Executive Director at Asian Development Bank, and Director at National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP).

Brief introduction of new full-time members
Diverse expertise

The new members bring a wealth of experience from various sectors.

Raju is an Economic Advisor to the UP government and a part-time Member of the Economic Advisory Council to PM.

Das is the Director at IISER Bhopal after serving as Professor & Chair at JNU's Special Centre for Molecular Medicine.

Karandikar, Secretary at DST, was earlier Director IIT and Dean (Faculty Affairs) at IIT Bombay.

Srinivas has been with AIIMS since 1994 and has trained thousands of medical students.