TV Somanathan assumed the role of cabinet secretary on Friday, succeeding Rajiv Gauba, according to an official announcement. Rajiv Gauba, who had been in the position since 2019, has finally completed his five-year tenure.
Previously serving as the Union finance secretary, TV Somanathan was appointed as the new cabinet secretary on August 10, with a term set for two years. An IAS officer from the 1987 batch, hailing from the Tamil Nadu cadre, Somanathan is also a certified chartered accountant, cost accountant, and company secretary.
He has held several significant roles at the central government level, including joint secretary and additional secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. Additionally, Somanathan worked as a joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs and was on assignment as the director for corporate affairs at the World Bank in Washington, DC.
When appointed as cabinet secretary, Somanathan was overseeing duties as the finance secretary and secretary in the Department of Expenditure. In Tamil Nadu, he held various prominent roles, such as managing director of the Chennai Metro Rail Corporation and secretary to the chief minister. Somanathan has also been the additional chief secretary and commissioner of commercial taxes in Tamil Nadu.
