Who is T V Somanathan, senior IAS officer appointed as new Cabinet Secretary

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government on Saturday cleared the appointment of 1987 batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer T.V. Somanathan as Cabinet Secretary for a period of two years.

T.V. Somanathan will succeed the outgoing 1982 batch officer Rajiv Gauba, who remained at the helm for five years.

“The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has also approved the appointment of T.V. Somanathan, IAS (TN:87) as Cabinet Secretary with a tenure of two years from August 30, 2024,” a statement by the Department of Personnel and Training said.

Somanathan will be an Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat from the date he joins the assignment till he takes over as Cabinet Secretary i.e. from August 30.

T.V. Somanathan is believed to be one of the trusted advisors of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also the one with a proven track record in economic policymaking.

During his stint in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) between 2015-17, he looked after the implementation of economic policies. He played a pivotal role in ‘PM Gareeb Kalyan’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ announcements in 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

As per reports, he also played a crucial role in the formulation of Nirmala Sitharaman’s 2021-22 Union Budget. Many themes of the Budget including jobs push, fiscal expansion, and promoting public investment in infrastructure were said to have his imprints.

In 2017, the Prime Minister also attended the wedding celebrations of the senior bureaucrat’s daughter.

Somanathan, known for his expertise in public finance, economic policy, and administrative reforms, is currently serving as the Finance Secretary.

He became Expenditure Secretary in 2021 and was slated to retire next year. As the Cabinet Secretary mandates a fixed tenure of two years, his term will now run through till 2026.

The 1987 batch IAS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre had a long experience in Tamil Nadu before moving to the Centre. He served in the Tamil Nadu government in multiple roles as Deputy Secretary (Budget), Joint Vigilance Commissioner, Executive Director Metrowater, Secretary to 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 2011, his services were sought by the World Bank and he served as Director from 2011 to 2015. In 2000, he was one of the bank’s youngest Sector Managers.