Bibek Debroy Is Likely To Take Over As Prime Minister’s Economic Adviser

Well-known economist and NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy is being considered for the post of economic advisor to the Prime Minister as he is expected to play a bigger role in the government.

Debroy, who played a key role in bringing about a transformational change in the Indian Railways during his stint as member of the Aayog, is expected to take on a responsibility on lines of the erstwhile chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC). The previous PMEAC was headed by former RBI governor C Rangarajan, before it was wound up after the National Democratic Alliance government took charge.

Government officials hinted that shifting Debroy to the new position was in the offing, but did not say when the actual shift would take place.

It was based on the Debroy Committee’s recommendations that the central government merged the Railway budget with the general budget and is proposing to change the fiscal year to January-December.

Educated at Presidency College (Calcutta), Delhi School of Economics and Trinity College (Cambridge), Debroy began his career as a teacher at his alma mater, the Presidency College, and later at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Pune), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (Delhi), and National Council of Applied Economic Research (Delhi).

He has served as a consultant to the Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry.