Chief Controller of Accounts, Department of Rural Development, MoRD
- Akhilesh Jha is a Civil Servant (1996 batch of ICAS), an author and a filmmaker. By profession he is a public policy & PFM expert and a data artist. He is currently serving as Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Government of India.
- Akhilesh Jha was Professor at National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM) during 2014-15 and taught public financial management and e-governance. He was a member of the Academic Council of NIFM. He taught a course ‘PG Diploma in Buddhist Studies’ at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
- Akhilesh Jha authored 18 books; made more than 100 documentaries on Indian history, culture and music; written more than 500 articles/research papers for about 30 newspapers, magazines and journals; disseminated spoken Sanskrit for 7 years; pioneered computer literacy for slumdwellers and undertrial prisoners in India; worked for the destitute patients; created an archive of 10000+ rare gramophone records.
Experience in Government-
- Served at various positions in Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Science &Technology, Ministry of Law & Justice and Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- He pioneered and steered the project to network all the embassies and consulates of Government India in more than 120 countries for better MIS through I-MAS (Integrated Mission Accounting System). He got ‘RahatLekha’ system developed for the victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy to eliminate any chances of corruption in disbursing ex-gratia. Both these initiatives won the Best Practice Award from Government of India. He was instrumental in introducing e-payment systems for the first time in public sector through ‘PrasarLekha’.
- Akhilesh Jha introduced data-driven evaluation and monitoring of government schemes in the Departments of Ministry of Science & Technology. His data stories have helped the stakeholders bring is changes required to make the government schemes impact people’s life in the intended ways. He was Head, Data & Strategy Unit of Ministry of Science & Technology.
- He specializes in capacity building and is a regular guest faculty on different subjects in the prestigious academies and institutions of India and abroad.
Areas of interest –
- Vedas, Indology, folktales of Mithila, life of Lakshadweep, role of music and musicians in nation building, sites of Indic knowledge system in Pakistan, aural stocks of shellac records, evolution of constitutional system in India, data science, using technology in heritage space…