New Delhi: The Karnataka government has appointed former Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Rajeev Gowda as the vice chairperson of the State Institute for the transformation of Karnataka (SITK), the equivalent of the Centre’s Niti Aayog that replaced its planning board.
The position of the vice chairperson of SITK, which is chaired by the chief minister, comes with a cabinet rank.
Gowda, a public policy expert, economist and academician, has represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha during 2014-20. He is also the chairman of the Indian National Congress’s Research Department, a national spokesperson for the party, apart from being the convener of its manifesto committee for the 2019 general election.
He has served as the chairperson of Centre for Public Policy, professor of economics and social sciences at the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore). Gowda has also been a director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
“This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the creation of a unique Karnataka model of development under the leadership of chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D. K. Shivakumar,” Gowda said in a statement.
SITK’s, whose mandate is to formulate policy strategy and evaluate programme outcomes, works with multiple departments to promote Karnataka’s socio-economic development.
It has a special focus on helping Karnataka achieve various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Gowda’s role as the SITK’s vice chairman will enable him to ensure engagement and constructive coordination across government departments and external experts.
The Indian National Congress won the Karnataka elections in May, replacing a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Updated: 15 Aug 2023, 06:10 PM IST