The former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das has been named Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Principal Secretary-2.”
“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Shaktikanta Das, IAS (Retired) as Principal Secretary-2 to Prime Minister with effect from the date he assumes the office,” stated a circular issued by the government.
It further stated that his appointment will be “co-terminus” with the prime minister’s term or until future directives.
In December of last year, Shaktikanta Das, who served as the governor of the RBI for six years, resigned. As the 26th governor of the apex bank, Sanjay Malhotra assumed leadership.
Who Is Shakti Das?
The 67-year-old Shaktikanta Das works as a diplomat. In 2018, he took over as RBI governor following Urjit Patel’s sudden resignation.
Das, a 1980-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer, has a postgraduate degree in public administration from the University of Birmingham and a master’s degree in history from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College.
In November 2016, when the government eliminated high-value currency notes, he served as the secretary of economic affairs.
Das was instrumental in the July 1, 2017, implementation of the GST, which combined several indirect taxes into a single tax.
Das, the governor of the apex bank, is recognized for having led the nation through the coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted the global economy by seriously damaging supply lines. He had to deal with the disturbances brought on by the shutdown during difficult times.
In 2021, he was given a three-year extension to serve as governor of the RBI.
In 1980, Das became a member of the Indian Administrative Service. He has held the positions of Secretary at the Department of Economic Affairs and the Department of Revenue. Following his retirement, he was named G20 Sherpa of India and a member of the 15th Finance Commission.
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