New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the assignment of additional charge of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog to Nidhi Chhibber, IAS (Chhattisgarh cadre, 1994 batch). She currently serves as Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), the evaluation arm of the government’s premier public policy think tank.
The appointment follows the completion of the tenure of B. V. R. Subrahmanyam on 24 February 2026. Chhibber will hold the additional charge until a regular incumbent is appointed or until further orders.
Established in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, NITI Aayog plays a pivotal role in fostering cooperative federalism, designing long-term development strategies, monitoring flagship schemes and enabling Centre-state coordination.
Extensive Administrative Experience Across Key Roles
Chhibber brings nearly three decades of administrative and policy experience at both central and state levels. As Director General of DMEO, she has overseen outcome-based governance frameworks, third-party programme evaluations and performance monitoring mechanisms aimed at strengthening service delivery across ministries.
She has previously served as Additional Secretary at NITI Aayog and was briefly appointed Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in 2025 before returning to the think tank. In 2022, she was appointed Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where she led India’s largest national education board through significant reforms.
Her appointment ensures leadership continuity at a time when several long-term reform and monitoring initiatives are underway.
Academic Background and Governance Focus
A 1994-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, Chhibber’s academic grounding in public administration and governance has shaped her policy-driven career. Her professional trajectory reflects a strong emphasis on institutional strengthening, monitoring frameworks and reform-oriented governance.
Through her tenure at DMEO and earlier assignments, she has consistently focused on data-driven policymaking, transparency and measurable outcomes—key pillars in India’s development journey.
NITI Aayog’s Development and CSR-Linked Initiatives
Beyond policy formulation, NITI Aayog has been instrumental in promoting sustainable development and social impact initiatives. Flagship programmes such as the Aspirational Districts Programme, Atal Innovation Mission and SDG localisation efforts have strengthened grassroots development, innovation ecosystems and public-private collaboration.
The think tank has also encouraged corporate participation in nation-building through CSR alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), outcome-based monitoring and impact measurement frameworks—ensuring that development investments translate into measurable social change.
With Nidhi Chhibber at the helm in an interim capacity, NITI Aayog is expected to maintain strategic continuity while advancing reforms central to India’s growth and governance agenda.
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