The government has appointed former senior finance ministry official Annie George Mathew, economist and management consultant Janmejaya Kumar Sinha and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin as part-time, non-official directors on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a four-year term.

As of today, the current strength of the board is 11, including the governor and deputy governors. After today’s appointments, it will become 14.

The appointments were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet under Section 8(1)(c) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Saturday, the appointments will take effect from the date of notification and will continue for four years or until further orders, whichever is earlier,

The three bring experience in public finance, economics, corporate strategy and international diplomacy to the RBI’s central board.

The government had appointed former ISRO Chairman Somnath S and Mahindra group Chairman Anand Mahindra on the central board of the RBI last week.

Mathew, 62, is a former Special Secretary in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, and is currently a full-time member of the Sixteenth Finance Commission.

An officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, she has more than three decades of experience in public finance, financial management, government audit and accounts. She has also served on the boards of public sector financial institutions.

Sinha, 66, is a prominent economist and management consultant and has held senior leadership positions at the Boston Consulting Group. He has served as chairman of BCG Asia-Pacific and has been associated with several government and regulatory committees, including those relating to financial-sector reforms.

Akbaruddin, 66, is a former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and a former spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs. He is currently associated with the Kautilya School of Public Policy in Hyderabad.

The appointments will add diverse expertise to the RBI’s Central Board, which plays an important role in overseeing the functioning of the central bank and advising on matters relating to monetary, financial and economic policy.