Arunish Chawla Appointed as New Revenue Secretary

The government has appointed Arunish Chawla as the new Revenue Secretary, succeeding Sanjay Malhotra, who recently became the RBI Governor.

Key Highlights:

• Chawla is a 1992-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre.
• He holds a PhD and postgraduate degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.
• Chawla previously served as Pharmaceutical Secretary.
• He will now be overseeing the Income-tax Act review and preparing for the Union Budget presentation.

Background and Career Path:

Arunish Chawla, a seasoned bureaucrat, has an impressive background in economics and public service. Let’s dive deeper into his career:

PhD Holder and International Experience:

• Chawla holds a PhD and a postgraduate degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.
• He has served as Minister (Economics) at the Indian Embassy in the US and as a Senior Economist with the IMF.

Previous Roles and Responsibilities:

• Chawla previously served as Joint Secretary in the Expenditure Department.
• He has now been appointed as the Revenue Secretary, marking his second stint in the Finance Ministry.

Upcoming Tasks and Responsibilities:

As the newly appointed Revenue Secretary, Chawla will be tasked with critical responsibilities and initiatives:

Immediate Focus Areas:

• Finalizing revenue numbers and preparing for the Union Budget presentation on February 1.
• Overseeing a comprehensive review of the Income-tax Act to introduce a new framework.

Additional Roles:

• Chawla will serve as the ex-officio Secretary to the GST Council.
• He is expected to retire in July 2028.

Other Key Appointments:

Several other bureaucratic transfers have taken place alongside Chawla’s appointment:

• Amit Agrawal will replace Chawla as Pharmaceutical Secretary.
• Neelam Shami Rao has been appointed as the new Textiles Secretary.
• Vineet Joshi will take over as the new Higher Education Secretary.
• Neeraj Shekhar has been appointed as Director General in the National Productivity Council.

Key Takeaways for Competitive Exams:

For competitive exams, it’s essential to remember the following key points:

• Arunish Chawla appointed as the new Revenue Secretary by the government.
• Chawla holds a PhD and postgraduate degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.
• Chawla’s immediate tasks include finalizing revenue numbers and overseeing the Income-tax Act review.