Rajiv Kumar on Friday stepped down as Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman. The Government on Friday accepted his resignation and appointed noted economist Suman Bery as his successor with effect from May 1.

According to an order issued by Department of Personnel & Training, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has accepted the resignation of Rajiv Kumar and relieving him from the post of the Vice-Chairperson, NITI Aayog w.e.f., April 30, 2022. The committee also appointed Suman K Bery initially as Full-Time Member, NITI Aayog with immediate effect and up to April 30 and afterward as Vice-Chairperson w.e.f. May 1, 2022.

Earlier in the day, in a surprising move, Kumar submitted his paper after spending nearly five years in NITI. He was appointed after sudden exit of then Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya, who wad first Vice-Chairman of the think tank. Niti Aayog came into existence on January 1, 2015, replacing the decades-old Planning Commission.

Bery he has been a member of both the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and the National Statistical Commission. He has served as Director-General (Chief Executive) of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), New Delhi from January 2001 to March 2011.

Prior to NCAER, Bery was with the World Bank in Washington D.C. Areas of focus included the macro-economy, financial markets, and public debt management with a focus on Latin America. From 1992-1994, on leave from the World Bank, he worked as Special Consultant to the Reserve Bank of India, Bombay, where he advised the Governor and Deputy Governors on financial sector policy, institutional reform, and market development and regulation.

In addition to serving on numerous government committees, Bery has served as an independent (non-executive director) on the board of State Bank of India. He completed his undergraduate work at Magdalen College, Oxford University in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (First Division) and holds a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. 

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