Chief Economic Advisor

In News

  • The government has appointed Venkatraman Anantha Nageswaran as its chief economic advisor (CEA) days before the tabling of the 2021-22 Economic Survey and the presentation of the 2022-23 Union Budget.

About

  • The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) is a post in the Government of India and is equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
  • The CEA is the ex-officio cadre controlling authority of the Indian Economic Service: The CEA is head of Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
  • Role of the CEA: The extent to which the Government takes into account the advice of the Chief Economic Adviser has generally been considered to be open-ended.
    • The main role of CEA is to produce an Economic Survey.
  • Who was the first Chief Economic Advisor of India?
    • Renowned economist JJ Anjaria (1908-70), who co-authored the classic text on Indian agricultural economics, ‘The Indian Rural Problem’, was the first Chief Economic Advisor of India.
    • He held the position from 1956 to 1961, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Source: BS