New Delhi: The Central government appointed senior IAS officer T.V. Somanathan as the new Cabinet Secretary on Saturday.

Currently working as the Finance Secretary, Somanathan, a 1987-batch IAS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre, will replace Rajiv Gauba and hold the position for two years beginning August 30.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of TV Somanathan, IAS as Cabinet Secretary with a tenure of two years from 30.08.2024," an official statement said.

The Appointments Committee announced that Somanathan will serve as Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat from the date he begins his new role until he formally assumes the position of Cabinet Secretary.

The Cabinet Secretary is the highest-ranking executive official and the senior-most civil servant, reporting directly to the Prime Minister and overseeing the administration of the central government, ensuring smooth coordination across various ministries.

Rajiv Gauba has worked as Cabinet Secretary for five years, starting on August 30, 2019.

Somanathan ranked second in the civil services examination.

He passed his training with a Gold Medal for being the Best IAS Probationer of his batch.

He has served as the 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.

His 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 and an MA in Economics from Calcutta University, and has completed the Executive Development Program at Harvard Business School. Additionally, he is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary.