New Delhi (11.08.2024): When the Centre on Saturday notified Dr T V Somanathan (IAS: 1987: TN) as India’s 33rd Cabinet Secretary, it was a pleasant surprise for civil servants across service, batch and cadre. A PMO man popularly known as TVS commands respect for his administrative abilities, attributes, and craftsmanship, who speaks his mind and stands out.
On his appointment a Union Secretary, adding humour to the development said, “the Finance Secretary designate is now Cabinet Secretary designate.”
Currently, Dr Somanathan is Secretary in the Department of Expenditure. He was scheduled to retire in May 2025 but the development brings him an extended lease in service tenure. As OSD he will take over from Rajiv Gauba (IAS: 1982: JH) on 29.08.2024 and will continue the journey as new Cabinet Secretary w.e.f. 30.08.2024 upto 29.08.2026. But as per need-based convention of continuing a Cabinet Secretary on extension, he too may remain on the turf beyond 29 August 2026.
With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, TVS brings with him a spectrum of experience in administration. He held key positions including Joint Secretary, Corporate Affairs and Economic Affairs. He was among the first few who were taken on board as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office under Narendra Modi in 2014 and continued as Additional Secretary in the PMO.
He played a key role in the preparation of the Union Budget and in steering fiscal policy, especially during challenging economic times in the bargain. In 1996, he joined the World Bank, Washington through the Young Professionals Program, as Financial Economist in the East Asia & Pacific Regional Vice Presidency. He became one of the World Bank’s youngest Sector Managers when he was appointed Manager of the Budget Policy Group in 2000. In 2011, his services were sought by the World Bank when he served as Director from 2011 to 2015.
During his tenure in the Cadre state of Tamil Nadu, he held several key positions including Deputy Secretary (Budget), Joint Vigilance Commissioner, Executive Director Metrowater, Secretary to Chief Minister, and Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner of Commercial Taxes. He served as Secretary to CM and became one of the architects of Chennai Metro Rail Project as its founder MD. Interesting to underline that perhaps he might be the only only Cabinet Secretary who never served as District Collector.
In terms of educational qualifications Dr Somanathan, a PhD in Economics, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant. Ever since he came to the Centre as Expenditure Secretary in December 2019 right ahead of the pandemic that broke out in January 2020, he became a synonym to carrying out bold policy reforms. Post COVID-19 pandemic country’s shattered economy needed substantial support and Dr Somanathan marked his contribution as one of the key architects of path-breaking initiatives of the NaMo government which is a capex-led growth push that captured the country's imagination.
Marking an indelible impression he contributed largely to the Atma Nirbhar Bharat stimulus package; Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme; One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC); National Monetisation Pipeline (NML) generating additional resources worth Rs 6 lakh crore to fund infrastructure development; Bad Bank for managing NPA of public-sector banks; Single Nodal Agency (SNA) Dashboard for efficient management of centrally sponsored schemes; key reforms in public procurement etc.
Recognizing his key contributions, a section of senior bureaucrats believed he was made for RBI Governor as well. During his tenure in PMO, several Union secretaries recognized him for expertise in finance, economics and appreciated his humility and generosity. Since Saturday noon the NaMo administration has been applauded for finding a visionary leadership as well an epitome of humility in Dr TVS as India’s new Cabinet Secretary.
(By Rakesh Ranjan)
ALSO READ:
