Rajiv Gauba retiers, TV Somanathan takes over as Cabinet Secretary
Appointment
5 min read
India’s longest-serving cabinet secretary, Rajiv Gauba, retired after five years of service on 30 August 2024. He was replaced by Finance Secretary TV Somanathan.
TV Somanathan is the 33rd cabinet secretary of the government of India.
Longest serving Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba
1982 batch Jharkhand cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Rajive Gauba was appointed as the cabinet secretary of the government of India on 30 August 2019.
He was initially appointed as the cabinet secretary for two years.
Normally, a cabinet secretary is appointed for two years.
However, the government of India amended the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, and Rule 56(d) of the Fundamental Rules and granted Rajiv Gauba three consecutive annual extensions till 30 August 2024.
Before Rajiv Gauba, Pradeep Kumar Sinha was the longest-serving cabinet secretary. Pradeep Kumar SInhas was a cabinet secretary for four years, 79 days (13 June 2015 – 30 August 2019).
33rd Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan
1987 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre TV Somanathan is the 33rd cabinet secretary.
The first cabinet secretary was N R Pillai, who took over the office on 6 February 1950.
Before becoming the cabinet secretary, TV Somanathan was the Expenditure Secretary In the Union Ministry of Finance and also held the post of the Finance Secretary.
About TV Somanathan
Dr. Somanathan is a highly qualified man. He has a PhD in Economics from Calcutta University and is also a qualified Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, and Company Secretary.
He has worked in the central government, the Tamil Nadu government and the World Bank.
In Tamil Nadu, he served in various crucial positions. He was the first Managing Director of Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Chennai, and during his tenure, the project's financial closure was achieved.
He also worked at the World Bank, joining in 1996. He was one of the youngest sector managers of the bank and served as its Director from 2011 to 2015.
TV Somanathan is a highly reputed officer and the World Bank once asked for an extension of his tenure there, which was granted by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He is also an accomplished scholar who has published over 80 papers and articles in reputed journals and newspapers on economics, finance, and public policy. He is also the author of three books published by McGraw Hill and Cambridge/ Oxford University Press.
About Cabinet Secretary
The Cabinet Secretary heads the Cabinet Secretariat, which is headed by the Prime Minister.
The Cabinet Secretary heads the Cabinet Secretariat, is the head of the bureaucracy in India, and is the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.
- The Cabinet Secretariat is the key administrative body of the Government of India and facilitates smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments.
- The Cabinet Secretariat coordinates the activities of the various ministries of the Government of India.
