CEA Arvind Subramanian, who once called Modi mediocre leader, efficient in riots, resigns

By Rajiv Shah
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "lost" yet another topnotch economist, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) with the Union finance ministry, Arvind Subramanian. Following Arvind Panagariya, who quit the Modi establishment in August 2017 reportedly over excessive bureaucratic interference, Subramanian has resigned, citing "personal" reasons.
Subramanian, it is well-known, was two years ago a victim of a running campaign by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramaniam Swamy, who demanded from the government: "Sack him!"
A senior fellow at the prestigious Peterson Institute for International Economics and Center for Global Development, US, and rated among 100 top world thinkers, earlier Subramanian had advised the US on how to do business with India. He has become the third top economist to quit the government, the first one being Raghuram Rajan, who quit as Reserve Bank of India governor in September 2016.
Yet, BJP hard-liner Swamy, while attacking the CEA, referred to a 2013 report in which Subramanian had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a mediocre leader, efficient in riots”, adding the CEA had not just stopped here; he even “asked the US to grill India in World Trade Organization.” He added, “Who said to US Congress on March 13, 2013, the US should act against India to defend US pharmaceuticals interests? Arvind Subramaniam! Sack him!!”

Arvind Panagariya

In the 2013 Congressional testimony which Swamy referred to, Subramanian had said, "American firms are increasingly facing implicit but substantial discrimination in India's large and growing market because of India signing (or on the verge of signing) free trade and economic partnership agreements with its largest trading partners that are all major competitors to the US: Europe, Japan, Singapore, ASEAN, and possibly ASEAN-plus 6.”
Subramanian had advised the US that it should “adopt” a “multi-pronged strategy for solving trade conflicts and maximizing the underlying potential”, which include US addressing “frictions especially where Indian policies are demonstrably protectionist... through multilateral (WTO) dispute settlement procedures. The US should not be reticent in this regard."
Before he was made CEA on Jaitley's advise in October 2014, five months after Modi took over, Subramanian had held the view that India should not oppose the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), something the country did in 2014. By opposing TFA, he had said, India would be seen as an obstructionist. “A policy that has limited support in the WTO looks weak and lacks legitimacy, and, hence, is unlikely to succeed”, he had added.
While it is belived that Subramanian had strong views on demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), and these differed from those of Modi, he was instrumental in coming up with some of the most well-researched Economic Surveys for the Government of India, which had critical remarks on the the government's economic policies. Those in the corridors of powder say, he was upset with the government over not keeping him informed about major policy decisions.

Raghuram Rajan

While openly favouring the government, in interviews and chats with journalists, Subramanian left no stone unturned in declaring that he did not agree the way the government was going ahead with policy reforms. Once, on being confronted with a crucial issue related with the Indian economy, the CEA, whose advice should have ideally formed the foundation of the government’s macroeconomic policies, asked, “Why do you want to deprive my memoir of any commercial value?” In an interview to The Financial Times in early 2017, he admitted that he had learnt to watch his step on delicate topics that could upset the Modi government, especially during public interactions.
“I was asked for my views on the beef ban in Mumbai and said jokingly that if I speak on this I’ll probably lose my job — and that went on the front page of The Indian Express,” he told Financial Times. “In that case I was told to be a bit more careful.”
On another occasion, speaking on the impact of social divisions and communalisation on economic development, he said, “The way you react to social cleavages has a critical impact on economic development. India is a wonderful example. What have reservations done, what have they not done, what has religion done, what has it not done illustrates the general principle that these things have a huge impact.’’
Meanwhile, "thanking" Subramanain, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said in a Facebook post, the CEA was "torn between family commitment and his current job which he considered the best and most fulfilling he has ever done", adding, he was "an advisor", whose job was to "analyse and thinks several steps ahead", adding he was "not a spokesman of the government."
Jaitley continues, Subramanian's "early diagnosis of the twin balance-sheet had led us to adopt the macro-economic strategy of higher public investment in the Budget of 2015-16. He conceptualised JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile) as a data base for availing public benefits. He contributed to the debate of federalism by conceptualising that the Indian federalism has not merely to be cooperative but also competitive."

Comments

NPNAIR said…

No bother.We are going to get an efficient PM Rahul Gandhi.He will manage all economies !!

June 21, 2018

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Search This Blog