Ajay Seth, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been designated as the new Finance Secretary.
The appointment was confirmed through an official order issued by the Ministry of Personnel on Monday.
Seth currently serves as the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs. His designation as Finance Secretary follows the elevation of Tuhin Kant Pandey—who previously held the position—to Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved designating Seth as the Finance Secretary,” the order stated.
Seth holds a bachelor of technology degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee and a master of business administration degree from Ateneo de Manila University.
Seth is credited with heading initiatives such as India's first sovereign green bond issuance and the creation of the infrastructure finance secretariat.
As per tradition, the senior-most secretary in the Union Finance Ministry is chosen for the role of Finance Secretary. Seth now becomes the top bureaucrat overseeing the ministry's functioning.

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