Who are R Balasubramaniam and Joram Aniya, new NITI Aayog members?

The Centre on Saturday appointed academician Joram Aniya and scholar-author R Balasubramaniam as full-time members of the Niti Aayog, taking the total number of such members in the government think tank to seven, along with a vice-chairman.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of the Niti Aayog.

“In continuation of the Cabinet Secretariat's notification dated 24.04.2026, the prime minister has approved the appointment of the following persons as full-time members of the NITI Aayog with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders, on the same terms and conditions as are applicable to full-time members: (i) Dr R Balasubramaniam; (ii) Dr Joram Aniya,” a notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat said.


ALSO READ | Balasubramaniam, Joram Aniya to be new full-time members of Niti Aayog

On April 24, while reconstituting the Niti Aayog, the government appointed Ashok Kumar Lahiri as its vice-chairman and economist K V Raju, AIIMS Director M Srinivas, Secretary in the Department of Science and Technology, Abhay Karandikar, scientist Gobardhan Das and former Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba as full-time members.

Who is Joram Aniya?

An accomplished academician, associate professor, and member of the Arunachal Pradesh Private Educational Regulatory Commission, Joram Aniya has more than 18 years of experience in teaching, research, and public policy engagement.

Notably, she is the first woman from the Nyishi community to earn a PhD, and the first in Hindi language in the state, with significant contributions to literature, culture and indigenous knowledge systems.

She has authored and edited many books on Nyishi literature and culture, along with numerous research publications.

Sources told PTI that Aniya's inclusion in the government think tank marked a historic moment, bringing an eminent intellectual voice from Arunachal Pradesh to the highest level of national policymaking.

Who is Dr R Balasubramaniam?

Scholar-author Dr R Balasubramaniam is a public policy expert and development activist. He is the founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a nationally recognised organisation working at the confluence of health, education, and community empowerment, and GRAAM, a pioneering public policy think tank.

He is a Harvard-educated public leader, a former faculty member at Cornell University and IIT Delhi. He holds a doctorate in Indic Leadership. His work is distinguished by its rare ability to seamlessly blend lived experience with rigorous academic insight.

He has advised governments on governance reforms, institutional strengthening, and state capacity building. A prolific author, his books including the citizen Voices from the Grassroots Leadership Lessons for Daily Living Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi reflects his distinctive voice at the intersection of public policy, leadership, and Indian thought.His current work explores leadership insights from the Bhagavad Gita.

He has also authored over 500 newspaper columns in Kannada and English.