Renowned Economist Dr. Shankar Acharya Appointed Chancellor of Central University of Andhra Pradesh

In a significant development, Dr. Shankar Acharya, the former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, has been named as the Chancellor of the Central University of Andhra Pradesh, Ananthapuramu. This appointment was made by the Hon’ble President of India, who serves as the Visitor of the University.

Dr. Shankar Acharya is a distinguished policy economist who has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic policies. His illustrious career includes serving as the Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance for six years. He holds the distinction of being India’s longest-serving Chief Economic Adviser, serving for eight years from 1993 to 2001. During this tenure, he provided invaluable guidance to three successive finance ministers: Manmohan Singh, P. Chidambaram, and Yashwant Sinha. In the latter half of this period, he also served as a Member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Since 2001, his career has been marked by diverse assignments, including his role as a Member of the Twelfth Finance Commission (2004), Member of the National Security Advisory Board (2009-2013), and a twelve-year stint as the non-executive Chairman of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Prior to his service in India, Dr. Acharya worked at the World Bank, where he led the team responsible for the World Development Report in 1979. He subsequently served as a Research Adviser to the Bank. Since 2001, he has held the position of Honorary Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). He is also a prolific author, having penned ten books and numerous scholarly articles. Additionally, Dr. Acharya has been a prominent columnist with the Business Standard for eighteen years. He has actively contributed to the boards of several national research organizations, corporations, charities, and the Reserve Bank’s Advisory Committee for Monetary Policy (2005-2016). Dr. Acharya holds a PhD from Harvard University and a BA from Oxford.

His body of work encompasses several books, scholarly papers, and chapters in various books, with a focus on topics related to macroeconomic policy, growth, international economics, and public finance. Some of his most recent books include “Essays on Macroeconomic Policy and Growth in India” (published by Oxford University Press in 2006), “Can India Grow Without Bharat?” (published by Academic Foundation in 2007), “India and Global Crisis” (published by Academic Foundation in 2009), and “India’s Economy: Performance and Challenges” (published by Oxford University Press in 2010), among others.

Upon his appointment, Dr. Shankar Acharya expressed his enthusiasm for contributing to the education sector through the Central University of Andhra Pradesh. Prof. S.A. Kori, the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of CUAP, welcomed this esteemed appointment.