CEA Arvind Subramanian resigns, to return to US
20 Jun 2018
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Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian has submitted his resignation and, like most of his PIO predecessors, is expected to return to the United States to continue his vocation.
Subramanian has cited pressing family commitments for his decision, union minister Arun Jaitley said today.
“Few days ago, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian met me over video conferencing,” Jaitley said in a Facebook post. “He informed me that he would like to go back to the United States on account of pressing family commitments. His reasons were personal but extremely important for him. He left me with no option but to agree with him.”
Subramanian, who started a three-year team as CEA on 16 October 2014, was asked to continue for another year till October 2018. He had agreed to continue in office rather reluctantly, Jaitley said
“Even at that stage, he told me that he was torn between family commitments and his current job which he considered the best and most fulfilling he has ever done,” Jaitley said.
“Personally I will miss his dynamism, energy, intellectual ability and ideas,” Jaitley added. “He would walk into my room — at times several times a day, addressing me as minister to give either the good news or otherwise. Needless to say his departure will be missed by me. But I know that his heart is very much here. I am sure he will keep sending advice and analysis wherever he is.”
In his post, Jaitley credited him for conceptualising "JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile) as a data base for availing public benefits." He said Subramanian’s interaction with the government, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and with other departments was both formal and informal and his instantaneous communications with interlocutors had increased his effectiveness.
In reaction to Jaitley's post, Subramanian took to Twitter and thanked him. He tweeted: "Profoundly grateful and humbled by these extraordinarily generous words by Minister Arun Jaitley announcing my decision to return-for personal reasons — to researching and writing. CEA job most rewarding, fulfilling, exciting I have ever had."
