New JS in PMO: 10 things about Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS Anurag Jain

ON WEDNESDAY, the Centre appointed 1989 batch IAS from Madhya Pradesh cadre Anurag Jain as a joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).  Known as a confidant of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, this IIT graduate-turned-IAS is known for his IT skills. In some ways, it’s a déjà vu in PMO, as former prime minister Manmohan Singh too appointed a JS from MP, R Gopalakrishnan, who had worked as PS to former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh. Gopalakrishnan turned out to be a highly efficient bureaucrat playing a stellar role in generating ideas and rolling out of UPA’s Bharat Nirman programme. But he died while in service. Here are 10 things you may like to know about Anurag Jain:

1. Jain, a 1989 batch MP cadre IAS and currently JS in financial services department under finance ministry, has been appointed as joint secretary in PMO for the balance period of his central deputation, i.e. till June 28, 2016.
2. A high point of his career is his long association with Madhya Pradesh chief minister and rising star in BJP Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Between 2005 and 2011, he was attached to CM’s office as secretary. Jain is considered a confidant of Chouhan.
3. Jain, 49, originally hails from Madhya Pradesh, and got MP cadre too.
4. A B. Tech in electrical engineer from IIT-Kharagpur before getting into IAS, Jain later had a masters degree in public administration from Maxwell School of Syracuse, USA (2004).
5. He served as collector in three districts: Mandla, Mandsaur and Bhopal.
6. In Madhya Pradesh, he was commissioner in department of health and was also secretary, information and technology department.
7. He has been serving as joint secretary in the department of financial services since June, 2011.
8. He was the interim CEO and interim MD of IFCI Limited (May 2013 to July 15, 2013), apart from being a non-executive director of Punjab National Bank.
9. He served as acting chairman and acting MD of Export-Import Bank of India (December 2013 to February 2014).
10. He also served as director at National Insurance Company Limited, Small Industries Development Bank of India, Irrigation and Water Resources Finance Corporation and National Insurance Company Ltd.