Ashok Lahiri Appointed as Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog; Gobardhan Das Named Member

Current Context: On April 24–25, 2026, the Government of India announced a major reconstitution of NITI Aayog. Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri was appointed as Vice-Chairman, succeeding Suman Bery.

• Scientist Gobardhan Das, Director of IISER Bhopal, was named a full-time Member.
• Lahiri, a former Chief Economic Adviser and member of the 15th Finance Commission, brings expertise in fiscal policy and governance.
• Das, with three decades of research in immunology and public health, strengthens science and innovation-driven policymaking.
• Both appointees hail from West Bengal and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after their appointments.
• The revamp also inducted Prof. K.V. Raju, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, and Dr. M. Srinivas, aligning NITI Aayog with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

Question:

Q.1 Who was appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog in April 2026?
a) Suman Bery
b) Ashok Kumar Lahiri
c) Gobardhan Das
d) Abhay Karandikar

Answer: b) Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri was appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, replacing Suman Bery.