Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das received the 'Governor of the Year' award at the Central Banking Awards 2023 in London. According to the organisers of the awards, Das has “cemented critical reforms, overseen world-leading payments innovation and steered India through difficult times with a steady hand and well-crafted turn of phrase”
Shaktikanta Das was also conferred the 'Central Banker of the Year, Asia-Pacific 2020' award by the London based magazine-The Banker, for his efforts to make the banking system more robust. Watch Shaktikanta Das' journey from studying in Bhubaneswar's DM School to becoming an IAS officer, and now the RBI governor
Born on February 26, 1957, in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, Shaktikanta Das completed his schooling at the Demonstration Multipurpose School in Bhubaneshwar before pursuing his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University
Shaktikanta Das also holds an Advanced Financial Management Course from IIM Bangalore, a Development Banking and Institutional Credit Course from the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Pune, and a post-graduate degree in Public Administration from the University of Birmingham, UK
Shaktikanta Das joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1980, and was assigned to the Tamil Nadu cadre. He held various positions in the state government, including the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes and as the Principal Secretary of Industries. He later moved to the central government and served as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
Shaktikanta Das was appointed Union Revenue Secretary in June 2014. He assumed the office of Secretary on June 16, 2014 and demitted it in August 2015. He was appointed Union Economic Affairs Secretary in August 2014, and he assumed the office of Secretary on August 31, 2015. He superannuated from service in May 2017 after being given a three-month extension by the government
Shaktikanta Das played a crucial role in introducing major reforms such as demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He was also responsible for the implementation of various reforms, including the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and the recapitalisation and merger of public sector banks (PSBs)
Shaktikanta Das, who has played a crucial role in the preparation of eight Union Budgets - four as joint secretary and additional secretary in-charge of the crucial budget division and two each as revenue and department of economic affairs secretary - has been a key link in several crucial economic decisions since he moved to the finance ministry in 2008
During his tenure as Union Economic Affairs Secretary, Shaktikanta Das was widely regarded as one of the most powerful civil servants in India. Post his retirement from the IAS, he was appointed a member of the 15th Finance Commission. In addition, he was appointed as India's Sherpa to the G20
Shaktikanta Das was instrumental in coordinating with the states to ensure the successful implementation of the GST. He has also been involved in various international forums and has represented India in the IMF, G20, and the BRICS. As per reports, Das played a key role in the negotiations for the $22 billion IMF bailout package for India in 1991
In December 2018, he was appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India after Urjit Patel resigned. Das is the first non-economist in 28 years to become RBI governor. Under his leadership, RBI has also taken various measures to deal with the economic impact of Covid-19. The central bank has provided various regulatory relaxations to support the economy
Shaktikanta Das' salary is Rs 2.87 lakh per month. This is the gross emoluments of the RBI Governor, which includes dearness allowance (DA) and other payments. Shaktikanta Das is married to Lopamudra Das and the couple has a daughter Anwesha Das who is a professional US-based Bharatanatyam dancer