The government is unlikely to fill the post of the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) until after the general elections in 2019, according to a senior official in the Finance Ministry.
The government has received only a few applications for the post in the three months since it advertised the vacancy, the official added.
Not many applicants
“We issued the advertisement for the post of CEA about three months ago, and since then we have not received the number of applications we were expecting,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.
“The selection committee has been formed but even after they select a name, it has to go higher up for approval and only then will the Appointments Committee make public the name.”
“It is unlikely that the post will be filled before the election (next year),” the official said.
“The government is satisfied at the moment with the advisory role being fulfilled by the current officials.”
The Finance Ministry has a Principal Economic Adviser, Sanjeev Sanyal, and the Prime Minister has an Economic Advisory Council, comprising noted economists such as Bibek Debroy, Rathin Roy, and Surjit Bhalla.
The CEA post is vacant since Arvind Subramanian left office at the end of July. Another key post, that of the Chief Statistician of India, has also been lying vacant since January 31, 2018.
“Who will want to join now, with the election so near,” another Finance Ministry official said, adding that there is no urgency to fill the post of CEA.
The CEA post is vacant since Arvind Subramanian left office at the end of July. Another key post, that of the Chief Statistician of India, has also been lying vacant since January 31, 2018.
“Who will want to join now, with the election so near,” another Finance Ministry official said, adding that there is no urgency to fill the post of CEA.
“One of the key roles of the CEA, which is to write the Economic Survey, is delayed this year as the Survey will come out only with the post-election Budget and not in February as in non-election years.” The selection committee for the post is headed by former Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan, and includes secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training C. Chandramouli and Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg among its members.