Senior bureaucrat Ajay Seth was on Monday appointed as the new Finance Secretary. According to the official order, Ajay Seth is a 1987 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Karnataka cadre. He is currently serving as Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.
As per the order issued by the Personnel Ministry, the Cabinet Appointments Committee has approved the appointment of Ajay Seth as Finance Secretary.
It is noteworthy that Ajay Seth will replace Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who has recently been appointed as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He will replace Madhabi Puri Buch. The post of Finance Secretary became vacant after Tuhin Kanta Pandey became the SEBI Chairman.
Ajay Seth Takes Over as Finance Secretary After Pandey’s SEBI Appointment
Tuhin Kanta Pandey took charge as the Finance Secretary of India in September 2024. After serving in this role, he assumed charge as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on March 1, 2025.
As per established convention, the senior-most Secretary in various departments of the Union Finance Ministry is appointed as the Finance Secretary.
It is noteworthy that before being appointed Finance Secretary, Ajay Seth was given additional charge of the Revenue Department in March.
Finance Secretary Ajay Seth’s Journey
Ajay Seth holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Roorkee and an MBA from Ateneo de Manila University. The newly appointed Finance Secretary of India has over three decades of experience in administrative services.
Throughout his career, he has played key roles in public finance, taxation and social sector administration. However, Ajay Seth received special recognition for reforming Karnataka’s commercial tax administration, receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2013.
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