Who is RBI’s new part-time director S Gurumurthy? All you need to know

RSS ideologue and journalist Swaminathan Gurumurthy has been appointed by the government as a part-time director to the board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Gurumurthy, known for his views on Swadeshi economics, is the co-convenor of RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch.

He is the editor of Tamil political weekly Tughlak and is a chartered accountant by profession.

Along with Satish Marathe, Gurumurthy has been appointed by the government to the central bank’s board for a four-year term.

The political journalist was extremely vocal in his support for demonetization, and called it "a fundamental corrective to the economy much like liberalisation of the 1990s," The Financial Express reported.

In an interview with the Economic Times in 2016, Gurumurthy had said that Swadeshi connects culture and economics.

"Swadeshi is not protectionism. It is a philosophy that links culture and economics. It rules out the idea of ‘fit-all’ model for development and makes development culturally compatible. This actually is the future global idea," Gurumurthy said in the interview.

He has written articles about corporate world for The Indian Express and was in favour of NITI Aayog replacing the Planning Commission.

In 2017, India Today magazine ranked him at number 30 in their list of India’s 50 most powerful people.

Gurumurthy often uses Twitter to communicate his views on politics and economics, even criticizing RBI's policies last year.

Story of my appointment as director RBI. This is the first directorship ever. Never accepted any private or PSU directorship. Not even audit of PSUs or Pvt cos. Wanted to be free to speak. But when pressure built up I am needed to do something in public interest I had to accept.

— S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) August 8, 2018

When I say Dravidian or anti Hindu parites some think I mean non brahmin castes. It is wrong. Dravidianism is anti Hindu political idea. Even a famous Brahmin like VP Raman was in it. Rajaji asked Brahmins to support it in 1967 holding the poonal. Don't mix caste in it. https://t.co/G7h3avX8wZ — S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) August 5, 2018

I said the RBI is destroying Indian business & also trying to force the govt to privatise the PSU banks. The RBI is is agenda driven. This is wrong. RBI has to devise policies which will work in and for India. https://t.co/fGldvVrXF5

— S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) September 30, 2017