Union culture secretary Vivek Aggarwal has been appointed as the vice president of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), marking India's first vice presidency of the organisation. The appointment was made at the FATF plenary meeting in Paris, where Aggarwal will take over from Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom. A 1994-batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Aggarwal has over 30 years of administrative experience and has worked in various key roles in both the Union and state governments.
Aggarwal has previously headed India's delegation to the FATF and served as director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). He has also worked in the ministry of finance, agriculture, and urban development, overseeing major programmes including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal termed Aggarwal's appointment a "major win" for India, saying it strengthens the country's efforts to fight global terrorist financing networks. Aggarwal expressed his honour at serving as vice president and looked forward to working with the FATF Global Network to keep the international financial system safe, inclusive, and resilient.
