Centre extends tenures of cabinet secretary, home secretary by a year
T. V. Somanathan and Govind Mohan have been given one-year service extensions as the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet clears their continued tenure.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Wednesday approved one-year extensions for cabinet secretary T. V. Somanathan and Union home secretary Govind Mohan, according to separate orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The ACC extended the tenure of Somanathan, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, as cabinet secretary for one year beyond 30 August 2026. In a separate order, it approved a one-year extension for Mohan, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Sikkim cadre, as Union home secretary beyond 22 August 2026.
In Mohan's case, the DoPT said the extension was granted by relaxing the provisions of Fundamental Rule (FR) 56(d) and Rule 16(1A) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.
Somanathan took charge as the country's top bureaucrat on 30 August 2024, succeeding Rajiv Gauba after serving as finance secretary and secretary, Department of Expenditure. He holds a PhD in economics from Calcutta University, completed the Executive Development Program at Harvard Business School, and is a qualified chartered accountant, cost accountant and company secretary.
During his career, Somanathan has served as joint secretary and additional secretary in the Prime Minister's Office; joint secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs; and director, corporate affairs, at the World Bank in Washington, DC.
In Tamil Nadu, he was managing director of Chennai Metro Rail Corp. Ltd, secretary to the chief minister, and additional chief secretary and commissioner of commercial taxes during the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He has also authored three books and published more than 80 papers and articles on economics, finance and public policy.
Mohan has served as Union home secretary since 23 August 2024. An engineering graduate from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, and a management postgraduate from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, he has previously served as secretary, Ministry of Culture; additional secretary and joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs; joint secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs; and minister (economic) at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC.
The ACC is the highest authority for appointments to senior positions in the Union government. It is chaired by the prime minister, with the Union home minister as its sole other member.
The ACC decides on appointments, tenure extensions and other service-related matters for top posts, including the cabinet secretary, secretaries to the Government of India and other positions specified under the Transaction of Business Rules. Proposals requiring its approval are processed through the establishment officer in the DoPT.