Saurabh Garg, senior IAS officer and secretary of the department of social justice and empowerment, has been appointed as secretary of the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. Notably, Mr Garg will continue to serve in this capacity for one year beyond his retirement on July 31. He will also take on the role of secretary to the National Statistical Commission.
Interestingly, observers have pointed out that Mr Garg’s new appointment follows on the heels of the similar appointment of P.K. Tripathi as the secretary to the Lokpal of India till superannuation and thereafter on a two-year contract.
Is this a new trend? An accomplished economist, Mr Garg’s academic credentials are impressive, having studied economics at Johns Hopkins University, besides IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Delhi. The Odisha cadre officer is known for his contributions to policy and programme implementation, particularly his role in conceptualising the Kalia scheme in Odisha. This initiative provides crucial support to small farmers and sharecroppers and has, notably, served as a model for the national PM Kisan scheme.
Most conspicuously, Mr Garg was a major force behind the direct transfer scheme during his tenure as CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The move has caused some murmurs in Delhi’s babu corridors, and while the immediate motive is unclear, time will eventually reveal how the transition unfolds. But one thing is clear: Mr Garg’s continued service after .