Centre appoints Anuradha Thakur as director on central board of RBI

The central government on Friday announced the appointment of Anuradha Thakur, secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, as a director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), replacing recently retired finance secretary Ajay Seth.

 

The move comes a day after Seth was named chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), nearly four months after the post fell vacant following the end of Debashis Panda’s tenure in March.

 

Thakur’s appointment is effective from July 24, the RBI said.

 

A 1994 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Thakur recently took charge as economic affairs secretary (EAS), becoming the first woman to hold the post. She had been serving as officer on special duty in the department since the end of June. Her appointment to the RBI board was expected, given the traditional role of the EAS as an ex-officio member.

 

Thakur also joined the Sebi board earlier this month as part of her EAS duties. A former additional secretary in the corporate affairs ministry, she has held key roles including that of director at the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) and joint secretary at the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), where she played a lead role in Air India’s disinvestment and the launch of Bharat Bond exchange-traded funds, reported The Hindu BusinessLine.