NITI Aayog Gets New Leadership Faces

The Union government is set to appoint former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, replacing Suman Bery. Alongside him, Gobardhan Das, Director of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, is expected to be appointed as a member of the government’s top policy think tank. The appointments come during the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections and are being seen as politically significant.

Ashok Lahiri’s Return to Policy Leadership

Ashok Lahiri is currently a BJP MLA from Balurghat in West Bengal and is not contesting the 2026 Assembly elections. He has a long academic and administrative career. Lahiri taught at Delhi School of Economics and worked with global institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF before returning to India’s finance ministry in the late 1990s. He later headed the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy and served as Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India.

Gobardhan Das as New NITI Aayog Member

Gobardhan Das, a former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, is also set to join NITI Aayog. He had contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections from Purbasthali Uttar as a BJP candidate. His appointment carries social and political significance as he is a Dalit leader and had reportedly faced post-election violence in Bengal after the 2021 polls.

Part of a Wider NITI Aayog Revamp

These appointments are being viewed as part of a long-awaited restructuring of NITI Aayog. Suman Bery had served as Vice-Chairman for four years, but on several occasions the central government was seen engaging directly with members and the CEO rather than through his office. With the recent exit of CEO BVR Subrahmanyam and the post currently under transition, Lahiri’s appointment is expected to strengthen institutional policy direction.

Important Facts for Exams

• NITI Aayog was established on 1 January 2015, replacing the Planning Commission.
• The Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog is appointed by the Prime Minister of India.
• Ashok Lahiri also served as a member of the 15th Finance Commission of India.
• IISER Bhopal is one of India’s premier autonomous institutes for science education and research.

Academic Strength and Political Signalling

Lahiri is known not only as an economist but also as a pioneer in election studies in India. He co-authored the book “India Decides,” which mapped Indian elections from 1952 to 1989. His combination of economic expertise and political understanding may shape NITI Aayog’s future policy planning. The simultaneous appointment of Lahiri and Das during the West Bengal polls is also being seen as an electoral message aimed at strengthening the BJP’s outreach in the state.