Vijayawada, August 31, 2024: Dr. TV Somanathan, a senior IAS officer from the 1987 Tamil Nadu cadre, has assumed the position of Cabinet Secretary for the Government of India, succeeding Rajiv Gauba following his retirement. Somanathan has previously held key roles, including Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs according to the reports published in businesstoday.in.
He also served as the Director of Corporate Affairs at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Before becoming Cabinet Secretary, he was the Finance Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Expenditure.
Somanathan held key roles in Tamil Nadu govt
In the Tamil Nadu government, Somanathan held several key roles, including Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner of Commercial Taxes during the crucial GST rollout. He also served as Commissioner of Disciplinary Proceedings. As the founder and Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation, he oversaw the financial closure and awarded the first tenders for the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
In 1996, he joined the World Bank in Washington through the Young Professionals Program and worked as a Financial Economist for the East Asia & Pacific region. He was appointed Manager of the Budget Policy Group and became one of the Bank’s youngest Sector Managers. From 2011 to 2015, he served as Director at the World Bank.
In terms of educational qualification, Somanathan has a Ph.D. in Economics from Calcutta University. He completed the Executive Development Program at Harvard Business School and is also a qualified Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, and Company Secretary.
