Finance Secretary T V Somanathan will be the new Cabinet Secretary. He will replace Rajiv Gauba.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of T V Somanathan, IAS (TN:87) as Cabinet Secretary with a tenure of two years from 30.08.2024,” an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Trainning (DOPT) said. Further, Somanathan will be Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat from the date he joins the assignment till he takes over as Cabinet Secretary.

A Ph.D in Economics from Calcutta University, Somnathan holds the unique distinction of being a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and Cost Accountant. He joined the Finance Ministry as Expenditure Secretary in 2019 and was soon designated as the Finance Secretary in 2021, along with charge of the Expenditure department. He was scheduled to retire next year. However, the Cabinet Secretary has a fixed tenure of two years, so his term will run through till 2026.

He was previously Joint Secretary in the Corporate Affairs Ministry, before moving to the Prime Minister’s Office as Joint Secretary/ Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister from 2015 to 2017. Earlier, he worked in senior positions in the Tamil Nadu Government, including Deputy Secretary (Budget), Joint Vigilance Commissioner, Executive Director Metrowater, Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner of Commercial Taxes. As founder MD of CMRL, he was responsible for achieving financial closure and awarding the initial tenders for implementing the Chennai Metro Rail Project.

In 1996 he joined the World Bank, Washington, through the Young Professionals Program, as Financial Economist in East Asia & the Pacific Regional Vice Presidency. In 2000, he became one of the bank’s youngest Sector Managers, when he was appointed Manager of the Budget Policy Group.

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