Former NITI Aayog employee pursuing PhD in London dies in accident

Cheistha Kochhar, a 33-year-old PhD student at the London School of Economics, was described by her father, retired Lieutenant General Dr. SP Kochhar, in a LinkedIn post.

London: An Indian student died after being run over by a truck while cycling back to her apartment in London last week, according to a social media post by Niti Aayog former CEO Amitabh Kant.

The 33-year-old Cheistha Kochhar was a PhD student at the London School of Economics, her father retired Lieutenant General Dr SP Kochhar said in a post on LinkedIn.

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Kochhar, who had previously worked with the public policy think-tank NITI Aayog, was pursuing her PhD in Behavioural Science from LSE.

Amitabh Kant in his post on X said that Cheistha Kochhar had worked with him on the LIFE programme in Niti Aayog. He described her bright, brilliant brave and always full of life.

“Cheistha Kochar worked with me on the #LIFE programme in @NITIAayog. She was in the #Nudge unit and had gone to do her Ph.D in behavioural science at #LSE Passed away in a terrible traffic incident while cycling in London. She was bright, brilliant & brave and always full of life. Gone away too early. RIP.”

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Lieutenant General Kochhar (Retd) stated that he is still in London trying to collect the remains of his daughter, Cheistha Kocchar.

In a post on LinkedIn, Lieutenant General Kochhar stated, “I am still in London trying to collect the remains of my daughter, Cheistha Kochhar. She was run over by a truck on 19 Mar while cycling back from LSE, where she was doing her PhD. It has devasted us and her large circle of friends.”

Cheistha was a doctoral candidate at the LSE since September last year, according to her LinkedIn profile. Prior to that she worked as Senior Advisor in the National Behavioural Insights Unit of India, Niti Aayog from June 2021 – April 2023.

Previously, she worked as Associate Director in Centre for Social and Behaviour Change.

She had completed her studies at Delhi University, Ashoka University, and the Universities of Pennsylvania and Chicago.