NITI Aayog, the National Institution for Transforming India, is the Government of India’s premier policy think tank. A major reconstitution of its top leadership was announced on 25 April 2026, with changes in the Vice-Chairman and full-time member positions.
Institutional Structure
NITI Aayog was established in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission. The Prime Minister of India serves as its Chairperson, and the Vice-Chairman functions as the executive head of the institution. The body also includes full-time members, ex-officio members, special invitees, and a Chief Executive Officer.
New Vice-Chairman And Members
Ashok Lahiri, a former Chief Economic Adviser and BJP leader, was appointed as the new Vice-Chairman. He replaced Suman Bery in this post. The Cabinet Secretariat ordered a revamp of the full-time membership, with Rajiv Gauba remaining the only continuing full-time member.
- Abhay Karandikar, Secretary in the Department of Science and Technology, was appointed as a full-time member.
- K V Raju, a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and economic adviser to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, was appointed as a full-time member.
- Gobardhan Das, a molecular scientist and Director of IISER Bhopal, was appointed as a full-time member.
- Dr M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, was appointed as a full-time member.
Members Replaced In The Reconstitution
The new team replaced Ramesh Chand, who handled agriculture-related work, Arvind Virmani, who handled trade-related work, VK Saraswat, who handled science-related work, and Dr VK Paul, who handled health-related work. The restructuring followed the recent exit of CEO BVR Subrahmanyam.
Policy And Administrative Context
NITI Aayog works on cooperative federalism, long-term policy design, and inter-ministerial coordination. It prepares policy inputs, monitors development programmes, and provides technical advice on economic and social sectors.
Last Modified: April 26, 2026