Arun Jha, IAS (Indian Administrative Service) 1981 Batch of Bihar cadre is a Gold medalist and a record holder in MA Political Science of Delhi University. His main areas of academic training at Master's level were in political economy of Japan and China and political and economic institution of Africa. During 1995-96 he was a World Bank Scholar in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, USA. He has held a variety of assignments in the Government both at the State Government of Bihar and at the Government of India level. In the State Government, in addition to important field responsibilities in development administration as Sub-Divisional Officer, Deputy Development Commissioner and District Collector he headed the Directorate of small Savings, Social Security, Employment and Training and was Sugarcane Commissioner looking after Sugar Industry.
In the Government of India Mr. Jha, was Director in the Ministry of Agriculture looking after National Disaster Management and subsequently in the Home Ministry assisting Minister of State of Home Affairs in the field of North East Development, Human Rights, etc. Mr. Jha, subsequently was Secretary in the State Government of Bihar in the Department of Food and Civil supplies, Excise and Prohibition, Official Languages, Additional Finance Commissioner (Resources) and Managing Director of Bihar State Cooperative Bank before he was posted in Government of India in August 2006 as Member Secretary of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority in the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. He currently holds the position of Joint Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Government of India. He possesses a keen interest in the social and developmental issues particularly issues relating to affordability of drugs and health care for the poor, Drug R&D, Pharma Education, Social Protection, Development Economics issues relating to Industry and Commerce.
