Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The centre has appointed Chief Secretary Anurag Jain as the chief executive officer of NITI Aayog.
The Cabinet Committee on Appointment (CAA) approved Jain's appointment for two years or maybe until the next orders.
Jain joined as chief secretary in October 2024, and he got an extension for one year on August 31 last year.
The centre, however, gave him an important assignment before his retirement on August 31.
Jain, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will get a relieving order from the state government by the end of this month. After the centre issued the order for Jain's appointment to Niti Aayog, speculations about who will be the next CS have begun to swirl.
After Jain, the 1990 batch IAS officer Rajesh Rajora tops the list in seniority. Besides Rajora, Ashok Barnwal (1991), VL Kantharao and Pankaj Agarwal (1992), and Neeraj Mandloi (1993) vie for the post of CS.
The most important issue about the appointment of a new CS is whether the PMO sends someone or an officer from the state gets the job. The government will soon issue an order, appointing the CS.
The centre plays an important role in the appointment of chief secretaries in the BJP-ruled states. Thus, the state may get a CS of PMO's choice.
