PD Vaghela appointed new TRAI chief

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Monday appointed 1986-Gujarat cadre IAS officer PD Vaghela to lead the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Vaghela was the secretary, pharmaceuticals, since August 2019. He played a crucial role in regulating prices of medicines and medical goods. Vaghela is also considered one of the foremost bureaucrats to have rolled out the goods and services tax (GST) in 2017.

Vaghela’s term as chairperson of the telecom body will last for three years or until he turns 65.

Vaghela will succeed RS Sharma, whose tenure as chief of TRAI lapses on September 30. Prior to TRAI, Sharma led the creation of Aadhaar as the director general and mission director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) during 2009-2013.