Rajiv Shah new head of USAID

WASHINGTON (Agencies) - The United States Senate has approved the nomination of Rajiv Shah to head the US Agency for International Development (USAID), making him the highest ranking Indian-American in the administration.
Before going on Christmas vacation, the US Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Rajiv Shah, along with nearly three dozen nominations of the Obama Administration.
Shah, 36, is the highest ranking Indian-American of the Obama Administration.
The confirmation has put Shah in charge of the $20 billion aid agency of the US, which is poised to play a key role in the new foreign policy of the Obama Administration which has made development a key tool.
Shah would be responsible to strengthen aid agency’s credibility and importance. The Obama administration is believed in to double the budget of the agency.
The foremost cause of increasing of budget is that the administration wants to extend its relief efforts in Afghanistan, where US and allied forces are waging war against terrorism.
Shah would report directly to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Shah was the Under-Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist at the US Department of Agriculture before being tapped by Obama for his new appointment.