TV Somanathan Appointed As Cabinet Secretary

Finance Secretary TV Somanathan has been appointed as cabinet secretary after Rajiv Gauba ended the longest-serving tenure. Somanathan's tenure of two years will start from Aug. 30.

Somanathan, a 1987 batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure) by the PM-led Appointments Committee in April 2021. He is among the key members of the Finance Minister's team.

He was previously Joint Secretary at Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister from 2015 to 2017.

Somanathan will discharge the duty of Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat.

Gauba completed his term in August, becoming the longest-serving cabinet secretary of India, after being granted a third extension for the position in August 2023. He beat his predecessor Pradeep Kumar Sinha's tenure, serving as Cabinet Secretary for five years.

NDTV had reported in May that Somanthan was among three officers in consideration for the post. Gujarat Chief Secretary Raj Kumar and Jal Shakti Secretary Vini Mahajan were reportedly the two other officers being considered.

Speaking to NDTV Profit post the presentation of the union budget in July this year, Somanathan had said that The STT increase is in the direction of decreasing excessive speculation.

It might deter speculation but by itself might not change the character of speculation, he had said.

While it is for regulators to take steps in that direction, we are assisting in that direction, he added.

Somanthan joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1987 and was awarded the gold medal for the Best IAS Probationer of his batch. He has worked in multiple senior positions in the Tamil Nadu government before, including Secretary to Chief Minister, and Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Commercial Taxes. As founder MD of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd., he was responsible for awarding the initial tenders for implementing the Rs 14,600-crore Chennai Metro Rail Project.

In 1996, Somanthan joined the World Bank, Washington through the Young Professionals Program, as Financial Economist in the East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice Presidency.