E-Paper
Tarun Bajaj takes over as Economic Affairs Secretary
Tarun Bajaj has been appointed in the crucial position at a critical time because of his successful previous stints at the finance ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Tarun Bajaj, a 1988-batch, Haryana cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), on Friday assumed the charge of the economic affairs secretary after retirement of Atanu Chakraborty from the position on Thursday.
Bajaj has assumed one of the key portfolios of the finance ministry at a time when the global economy is battered due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and International Monetary Fund (IMF) has substantially slashed India’s economic growth projection to 1.9% in the current year.
As head of the department of economic affairs (DEA) Bajaj will be responsible for execution of the government’s efforts to stimulate the economy, implement policies to enhance domestic and international investments and prepared budget-related proposals.
The economic affairs secretary also plays a crucial role in the country’s monetary and market-related policies as he is the bridge between the Union government and regulators such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
Bajaj has been appointed in the crucial position at a critical time because of his successful previous stints at the finance ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The finance ministry confirmed the development and tweeted that Bajaj was previously an additional secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Bajaj is trained in commerce and finance. A graduate from Sri Ram College of Commerce, he did his M. Sc. From London School of Economics and M.B.A. (finance) from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.
Before joining PMO in 2015 as a joint secretary, Bajaj was a joint secretary in DEA and looked after multilateral funding agencies division. Earlier, he also worked as joint secretary and director in the department of financial services (DFS).
