New Delhi: The Indian government, on Friday (April 22), announced the appointment of Suman Bery as the new Vice-Chairman of Niti Aayog. Bery will join the Central government’s think tank with immediate effect, following the unanticipated resignation of Rajiv Kumar. However, he will assume the role of Niti Aayog’s Vice-Chairperson beginning May 1.
Suman Bery completed his undergraduate course at Magdalen College, Oxford University, in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
He also holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs (MPA) from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, according to a report by PTI.
Suman Bery has worked with the World Bank in Washington DC. He spent his time at the organisation in areas such as macroeconomy, financial markets and public debt management, along with a focus on Latin America.
Suman Bery has also worked as Director General (Chief Executive) of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). He was working in the position for more than 10 years from 2001 to 2011.
Bery has also served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Statistical Commission. He has also worked with the Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.
In 2010, Bery was one of the members of Manmohan Singh’s Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. According to reports, he was among the members who were batting for the RBI to tighten its monetary policy to tame the rising inflation.
Rajiv Kumar’s resignation has been accepted by the Indian government and he would be relieved from his duties with effect from April 30. Kumar took the role of Niti Aayog’s vice-chairman in August 2017, soon after the then VC Arvind Panagariya called it quits to return to academics.