MP cadre IAS officer Anurag Jain appointed NITI Aayog CEO, succeeds Nidhi Chhibber

The Union government on Wednesday appointed Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, as the chief executive officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog, ending a five-month interim arrangement under which Nidhi Chhibber was holding the post as an additional charge.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Jain's appointment in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), his tenure will begin from the date he assumes charge and continue for an overall period of two years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Succeeds Nidhi Chhibber after interim charge

Jain takes over from Nidhi Chhibber, director general of NITI Aayog's Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), who had been holding the additional charge of CEO since February 24, 2026, following the completion of B.V.R. Subrahmanyam's extended tenure. Chhibber was asked to continue in the role until the appointment of a regular incumbent.

Subrahmanyam, a retired 1987-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, was appointed CEO of NITI Aayog in February 2023. His initial two-year tenure was extended by one year before ending in February this year.

Veteran administrator with Centre, state experience

Jain is among the senior-most IAS officers of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and most recently served as the chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh, a position he assumed in October 2024. In August 2025, the Centre granted him a rare one-year extension to oversee key financial and welfare reforms in the state.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Jain has held several key assignments in both the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government. He has previously served in the Prime Minister's Office and has handled portfolios related to infrastructure, urban development, industrial policy and investment promotion.

As CEO of NITI Aayog, Jain will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the government's apex public policy think tank, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CEO plays a central role in coordinating policy formulation with ministries and states, monitoring flagship government programmes and driving reforms across sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, digital economy and energy transition.