N K Singh, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission has been elected as the President of the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) Society, at a meeting of the general body on August 16, the society said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by IEG, the name of Singh was suggested for consideration of the General Assembly of the IEG by Dr Manmohan Singh. Manmohan Singh had served as the President of IEG since 1992 and has been closely associated with the institute for several decades.

N.K Singh succeeds Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India, who retired from the Presidency of the IEG Society earlier this month. Tarun Das former Director-General, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the current Chairman, Board of Governors and Professor Ajit Mishra is the Director of the institute.

In his letter to Director, IEG, Manmohan Singh said, “The role of Institutions, like IEG, in the developmental journey of our economy and society can never be overstated. True to the wishes of our founder Dr V.K.R.V. Rao, and other stalwarts, this institution has inspired generations of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of development and public policy. Going forward, it is only natural that there will be new challenges that can, through our endeavor, be translated into new opportunities and initiatives. I am confident of our ability to do so.”

“NK has had a long association with the institute and this relation has been revived recently in the form of his induction to the Board of Trustees as a member. He is a proven leader with five decades of excellent work and superlative achievement in public policy design and implementation,” he added further.

After completing his Bachelor’s in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, NK Singh did his Master’s in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, which brought him in close interaction also with the distinguished and eminent faculty of the IEG.

Singh is an administrator and policymaker. Prior to this, he presided as the Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Review Committee (FRBM) and he has served as a member of the Rajya Sabha (2008 – 2014), during which time he contributed to several prominent Parliamentary Standing committees. (ANI)