Former cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba has been appointed full-time member of the NITI Aayog. A 1982-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, Mr Gauba served as the top bureaucrat of the country for five years from 2019 to August 2024. He played a crucial role in steering major policy decisions, including India’s COVID-19 response and economic recovery strategies.

Mr Gauba has also served as Union home secretary, secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development and chief secretary of Jharkhand. The appointment, approved by the Prime Minister, will see Mr Gauba continuing to serve the nation under the same terms as other full-time members of the NITI Aayog, further cementing his legacy in India’s administrative landscape.