Sindhushree Khullar to be NITI Aayog CEO

Erstwhile Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar is believed to have been appointed as CEO of the newly formed NITI Aayog.

Khullar's name has been cleared for appointment as CEO of the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), sources said, adding that orders could be issued any time. Khullar, a 1975 batch UT cadre IAS officer, had taken over as Secretary Planning Commission in April 2012 replacing the Member Secretary of the body Sudha Pillai.

On superannuation on March 31, 2013, she was appointed as Secretary of the Commission on contract basis for two years.

Sources said that her contract of service as Secretary of the Planning Commission ended after the Cabinet approved a resolution to create NITI Aayog replacing 65-year old Planning Commission.

"After the formal dismantling of the Commission, Khullar was asked to stay back. However she did not attend the Union Cabinet meeting held on Monday," the sources said.

On Monday, the government had announced appointment of Vice-Chairman, two full time members, four ex-officio members (union ministers) and three special invitees for the Aayog. But the name of the CEO was not announced.

Noted economist Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as the first Vice Chairman of the newly-created NITI Aayog. Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat were appointed as full-time members by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be the Chairman of the body.

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu and Radha Mohan Singh have been appointed as Ex-Officio members while Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Zubin Irani and Thawar Chand Gehlot are the Special Invitees.