Centre Appoints IAS TV Somanathan As New Cabinet Secretary

New Delhi: The central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday appointed 1987 batch IAS officer TV Somanathan as Cabinet Secretary for a tenure of two years starting from August 30. He will succeed Rajiv Gauba, a 1982 batch IAS officer, who had an unprecedented five-year term as the Cabinet Secretary.

“The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has also approved the appointment of Shri TV Somanathan, IAS (TN:87) as an officer on special duty in the cabinet secretariat from the date he joins the assignment till he takes over as the cabinet secretary,” the statement read.

Somanathan will serve as Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat from the date he joins the assignment till he takes over as Cabinet Secretary, the Appointments Committee said.

The Cabinet Secretary is the highest-ranking executive official and the senior-most civil servant. This officer, who functions directly under the Prime Minister, is responsible for the administration of the central government, facilitating the smooth transaction of business across various ministries.

Rajiv Gauba has served as Cabinet Secretary for five years since August 30, 2019.

1987 Batch IAS TV Somanathan

TV Somanathan is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS), who joined the Civil Services in 1987 with the second rank. He was awarded the Gold Medal for being the Best IAS Probationer of his batch. He served as an Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office and a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He also worked as a Director at the World Bank.

Somanathan’s roles in Tamil Nadu included Deputy Secretary of Budget, Joint Vigilance Commissioner, Executive Director of Metrowater, Secretary to the Chief Minister, Additional Chief Secretary, and Commissioner of Commercial Taxes.

He holds a PhD in Economics and an MA in Economics from Calcutta University. He has also completed the Executive Development Program at Harvard Business School and is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary.