Noted economist Ashok Lahiri and scientist Gobardhan Das have been appointed as Vice-Chairman and Member, respectively, of NITI Aayog, according to government sources.
Ashok Lahiri, currently a BJP MLA in West Bengal, has previously served as Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India and was a member of the 15th Finance Commission. He is not contesting the ongoing Assembly elections in the state.
Gobardan Das, who currently serves as Director of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, has had an extensive academic career. Before taking up this role, he was a professor and chaired the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The appointments are seen as a move to strengthen policy formulation with expertise from both economic and scientific domains.
