Economist Surjit Bhalla Quits PM’s Economic Advisory Council

Carrying forward a resignation spree from the Narendra Modi government, economist Surjit Bhalla resigned from Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC). He was a part-time member of the panel that advises the PM on economic issues.

“I resigned as part-time member PMEAC on December 1st; also look for my book Citizen Raj: Indian Elections 1952-2019,” Bhalla tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Government sources said Bhalla’s resignation had been accepted by the Prime Minister.

Bhalla’s resignation follows as series of exits of economists from the Modi government, such as NITI Aayog head Arvind Panagariya, former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian.

The latest shocker for the government came on Monday when Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel announced his sudden resignation with one year left for the end of his term.

The five-member PMEAC was set up in September 2017 and is headed by economist and NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy. The others members Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal, Shamika Ravi and Ratan Watal.

On Bhalla’s resignation, news portal The Wire cited people with knowledge of the matter, that the economist had helped draft a report on employment months before his exit. “This report, sources say, has been criticised through feedback given by third-parties such as Mahesh Vyas of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE),@ the report added.