Dr Pramod Kumar Mishra, has been appointed as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India. He has taken over charge today.
Dr Mishra has varied work experience in the management of programmes relating to agriculture, disaster management, power sector,infrastructure financing, and regulatory issues and has an outstanding career profile comprising research, publications, policy formulation and programme/project management. He has vast experience in policy making and administration and has handled major assignments such as Additional Pr. Secretary to the Prime Minister; Secretary, Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India; Chairman, State Electricity Regulatory Commission and in the area of Disaster management. As Secretary Agriculture & Cooperation, he was actively involved in path-breaking national initiatives such as the National Agriculture Development Programme (RKVY) and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM).
As Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister during 2014-19 Dr Mishra is credited with introducing innovation and transformative changes in human resource management, particularly appointments to senior positions.
His international experience includes research and academic work for over four years at the Institute of Development Studies (UK), negotiation and execution of ADB and World Bank projects, member of the Governing Board of the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and participation as expert/resource person in several international conferences.
Recently, he was conferred with the United Nations SASAKAWA Award 2019, the most prestigious international award in disaster management.
Dr Mishra has a Ph.D in Economics/Development Studies from the University of Sussex, M.A. in Development Economics at the University of Sussex as also M.A. in Economics with a first class at the Delhi School of Economics and B.A. Hons. (Economics) with a first class and distinction in other subjects from G.M. College (Sambalpur University) in 1970. He was the only one to get a first class in Economics among all the universities of Odisha.
His publications include
● The Kutch Earthquake 2001: Recollection Lessons and Insights, National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi, India (2004).
● Agricultural Risk, Insurance and Income: A Study of the Impact and Design of India’s Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme, Avebury, Aldershot, UK (1996).
● Edited Development and Operation of Agricultural Insurance Schemes in Asia, Asian Productivity Organization, Tokyo, Japan (1999).
He has also contributed articles and reviews to many international journals.