The Government of India has named Tuhin Kanta Pandey, a 1987 batch IAS officer from the Orissa cadre, as the new Finance Secretary of the country. This announcement comes nearly a month after the former Finance Secretary, T.V. Somanathan, was promoted to Cabinet Secretary by the Cabinet’s apex appointment panel.
As Secretary for the Departments of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) in the Finance Ministry, Pandey has played a pivotal role in managing significant governmental assets and disinvestment processes. He has been the longest-serving Secretary at DIPAM, which was established as the Department of Disinvestment during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
This appointment is part of a broader reshuffle within the Finance Ministry. The recent shuffle includes Manoj Govil, a 1991 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre officer, being appointed as Expenditure Secretary on August 16, 2024. Concurrently, Nagaraju Maddirala, a 1993 batch IAS officer from the Tripura cadre, was named Secretary of the Department of Financial Services, succeeding Vivek Joshi, who has been transferred to the position of Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
These changes reflect a strategic shift in the top brass of the Finance Ministry following Somanathan’s transition to Cabinet Secretary, succeeding Rajiv Gauba.
