The Union Government has appointed a distinguished economist and former director of the Institute of Economic Growth, Mr. Manoj Panda, as one of the full-time members of the 16th Finance Commission of India – chaired by Mr. Arvind Panagariya. The other members are Mr. Ajay Narayan Jha (1982 batch IAS officer), the former expenditure secretary (1988 batch IA & AS officer), retired bureaucrat Ms. Annie George Mathew and SBI Group Chief Economic Advisor Mr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh.
Mr. Panda shall hold his designation from the date of assuming charge up to the date of submission of report or till October 31, 2025, whichever transpires earlier. The Finance Commission is a constitutional body (Article 280) that gives suggestions on centre-state financial relations.
