Nidhi Chhibber appointed interim CEO of NITI Aayog

The Centre, on Friday, appointed 1994-batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer Nidhi Chhibber as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the government think tank NITI Aayog, following the completion of B.V.R. Subrahmanyam's tenure on 24 February.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has assigned her the additional charge of CEO, NITI Aayog, till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier, according to the department of personnel and training order.

Chhibber is currently serving as director general of the development monitoring and evaluation office, the evaluation arm of NITI Aayog. The office plays a crucial role in strengthening outcome-based governance, conducting third-party evaluations, and supporting ministries in improving programme delivery.

Chhibber has held multiple senior administrative and policy roles in both the central and state governments, including the chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education in 2022, a key position overseeing India’s largest national education board.

Before that, Chhibber was designated as additional secretary at NITI Aayog and was briefly appointed officer on special duty in the ministry of food processing industries in April 2025, a posting later cancelled when she moved back to the think tank.

NITI Aayog, set up in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, functions as the Indian government’s apex public policy institution. It is tasked with fostering cooperative federalism, designing long-term development strategies, monitoring flagship schemes, and serving as a platform for Centre-state coordination.

The CEO plays a key administrative and strategic role in driving policy formulation, overseeing sectoral verticals and aligning reform priorities with national development goals.