New Delhi: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at her office in the North Block on Saturday evening. The meeting comes just days before Das’ current term as RBI Governor ends, and a day after the monetary policy meeting. Das has served as the Governor of the RBI for six years and his term is ending on December 10.
The meeting between Das and Sitharaman lasted for about half an hour, sources said. Any possible extension beyond December 10, whether or not, is not known yet. If an extension is granted, Das would become the longest-serving RBI Governor since Benegal Rama Rau, who held the position for 7.5 years, from 1949 to 1957.
Shaktikanta Das, a seasoned bureaucrat, previously served as the Secretary of the Department of Revenue and the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance. He assumed office as the 25th Governor of the RBI on December 12, 2018, with his term extended in 2021.
Before his role as RBI Governor, Das was a Member of the 15th Finance Commission and served as India’s G20 Sherpa. He has over four decades of experience in governance, holding key positions in both the central and state governments across areas such as finance, taxation, industries, and infrastructure.
During his tenure in the Ministry of Finance, Das was closely involved in the preparation of eight Union Budgets. He is a postgraduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.