Rajesh Shah appointed NIFT chief

New Delhi, June 28

The government today appointed Rajesh V Shah as Chairperson on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, in place of former cricketer Chetan Chauhan who resigned from the post after being made the Sports Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

“The Union Government (Ministry of Textiles) has appointed Rajesh V Shah as Chairperson on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Fashion Technology up to March 31, 2019 in place of Chetan Chauhan as per the provisions of the National Institute of Fashion Technology Act, 2006," an official statement said.

However, the statement did not share any details about Shah's profile.

A controversy had erupted last year over the appointment of Chauhan, an ex-cricketer and former BJP MP, as the Chairman of NIFT, with political parties and fashion designers questioning the move.

"Chauhan became a Minister in Uttar Pradesh therefore he resigned from the post. We have appointed Shah as the post fell vacant," Textiles Secretary Anant Kumar Singh told PTI.

Singh said Shah was related to the textiles industry.

As per the NIFT Act 2006, the Chairperson of its Board of Governors shall be an eminent academician, scientist or technologist or professional, who is to be nominated by the Visitor, in this case the President of India.

Set up in 1986, the institute, which has centres across the country, comes under the Union Ministry of Textiles. — PTI