Two Principal Secretaries have been appointed for the first time in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office (PMO). Shaktikanta Das, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has been made Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, while PK Mishra has been working in the post since 2019. Earlier, an additional Principal Secretary was usually appointed for the Prime Minister, but this time two Principal Secretaries have been made.
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Why the appointment of PK Mishra and Shaktikanta Das?
Experts believe that he needed a colleague as PK Mishra (76 years) was older. At the same time, Shaktikanta Das (67 years) has a deep experience of government and financial policy making, which can prove beneficial for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Shaktikanta Das served as RBI Governor till December 2023 and before that he had been the Revenue Secretary and Secretary of Economic Affairs. Given his experience and expertise, he has been given this new responsibility.
Other senior officials in PMO
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also has two advisors – IAS Amit Khare and Tarun Kapoor. PK Mishra is the most senior officer in the PMO, who is a 1972 batch IAS and has been serving as Principal Secretary since 2019.
Shaktikanta Das’s educational and administrative journey
- School Education: From Dimonstation Multiperpus School in Bhubaneswar.
- Higher Education: Bachelor and Masters in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi.
- Administrative Career: He played an important role in 8 Union Budgets while in civil service.
- Other prominent posts: He has also been the Governor of ADB (Asian Development Bank), NDB (New Development Bank) and AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank).
His appointment as Principal Secretary is likely to further strengthen policy making and administrative efficiency.
