The Narendra Modi government on Saturday appointed 1987 batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer TV Somanathan as Cabinet Secretary for a tenure of two years. He succeeds Rajiv Gauba, a 1982 batch IAS officer who had an unprecedented five year term as 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.
Gauba was appointed as the cabinet secretary in 2019 for a term of two years. He was later given a year-extension in 2021 and then in 2022 and 2023. He is said to be the architect of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, under which the erstwhile state of J&K was bifurcated into two UTs following the abrogation of Article 370.
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Who is TV Somanathan?
A 1987 batch IAS officer, Somanathan has held various positions in the Tamil Nadu government. He holds a Ph. D. in Economics from Calcutta University.
Prior to his appointment as finance secretary, Somanathan served as finance expenditure secretary from 2019 to 2021. He had replaced Girish Chandra Murmu, who was appointed the first lieutenant governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
He was also a joint secretary at Prime Minister's Office (PMO) between 2015 and 2017 and later served as additional secretary at the PMO. Somanathan also served for a brief stint as joint secretary at the ministry of corporate affairs. He was also deputed as director, corporate affairs at the World Bank in Washington DC.
In his parent cadre of Tamil Nadu, Somanathan served as managing director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd from 2007 to 2010. He also served as joint secretary at the Chief Minister's office.