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Finance Secretary (India)

Administrative head of the Ministry of Finance


Summary

Administrative head of the Ministry of Finance

FieldValue
postFinance Secretary
bodyIndia
native_nameभारत के वित्त सचिव
flagFlag of India.svg
flagsize110px
flagborderYes
flagcaptionFlag of India
insigniaEmblem_of_India.svg
insigniasize75px
incumbentVacant
departmentMinistry of Finance
reports_toThe Finance Minister
residenceNew Moti Bagh, New Delhi, India
seatMinistry of Finance
North Block, Cabinet Secretariat
Raisina Hill
New Delhi
appointerAppointments Committee of the Cabinet
termlength
formation
salarymonthly
website

North Block, Cabinet Secretariat Raisina Hill New Delhi The Finance Secretary (ISO: Vitta Saciv) is the administrative head of the Ministry of Finance. This post is held by senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to Government of India.

Under Section 22, of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, Finance Secretary signs the 1-rupee note.

As a Secretary to Government of India, the Finance Secretary ranks 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence.

Powers, responsibilities and postings

Finance Secretary is the administrative head of the Ministry of Finance, and is the principal adviser to the Finance Minister on all matters of policy and administration within the Finance Ministry. The senior most Secretary among the five Secretaries of the five Departments of the Ministry of Finance, viz. Economic Affairs, Expenditure, Financial Services, Revenue and Investment & Public Assets Management of Ministry of Finance, is designated as Finance Secretary.

The role of Finance Secretary is as follows:

  • To act as the administrative head of the Ministry of Finance. The responsibility in this regard is complete and undivided.
  • To act as the chief adviser to the Finance Minister on all aspects of policy and administrative affairs.
  • To represent the Ministry of Finance before the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of India.
  • To act as the first among equals among secretaries in the Ministry of Finance.

Emolument, accommodation and perquisites

The Finance Secretary is eligible for a Diplomatic passport. The official earmarked residence of the Union Finance Secretary is 5, New Moti Bagh, New Delhi, a Type-VIII bungalow.

As the Finance Secretary is of the rank of Secretary to Government of India, his/her salary is equivalent to Chief Secretaries of State Governments and to Vice Chief of Army Staff/Commanders, in the rank of Lieutenant General and equivalent ranks in Indian Armed Forces.

Base Salary as per 7th Pay Commission (Per month)Pay Matrix LevelSources
Pay Level 17url=http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdftitle=Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of Indiapublisher=Seventh Central Pay Commission, Government of Indiaurl-status=deadaccess-date=August 13, 2017archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120092637/http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdfarchive-date=20 November 2015}}

List of former finance secretaries

#NamePeriodNotes / Ref(s)1
K.R.K Menon1947 – 1954
2K. G. Ambegaonkar1954 – 1955Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 1957.
3Hirubhai M. Patel1955 – 1958
4A. K. Roy1958 – 1960
5S. Bhoothalingam1960 – 1964
6Lakshmi Kant Jha1964 – 1966Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1967 to 1970
7Sarukkai Jagannathan1967 – 1968Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1970 to 1975
8B D Pande1969 – 1972Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1977 to 1982
9M.R. Yardi1972 – 1974
10N. C. Sen Gupta1975Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from May to August, 1975
11Montek Singh Ahluwalia1993 – 1998A Key Figure In India’s Economic Reforms From The Early 1980s Onwards, He Has Held Several Important Positions Including Special Secretary To The Indian Prime Minister (1988–90); Commerce Secretary (1990–91); Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (1991–93). Later Served As The Deputy Chairman Of The Planning Commission Of The Government Of India From 2004 to 2014.
12Vijay Laxman Kelkar1998 – 1999Renowned Indian Economist And Academic
13Ashok Lavasa2016 – 2017Later EC, Election Commission of India and then VP, Asian Development Bank
14Hasmukh Adhia2017 – 2018Later Chairman, Bank of Baroda
15Ajay Narayan Jha2018 – February 2019Later Member, Fifteenth Finance Commission, Sixteenth Finance Commission
16Subhash Chandra GargMarch 2019 – July 2019Served as Secretary (EA) from 2017 and designated FS in March 2019.
17Rajiv KumarAugust 2019 – 29 February 2020Later served as Election Commissioner and then Chief Election Commissioner of India
18Dr. Ajay Bhushan PandeytoLater Chairman National Financial Reporting Authority
19Dr. T. V. SomanathantoLater Cabinet Secretary of India
20Tuhin Kanta PandeytoLater Chairman Securities and Exchange Board of India
21Ajay SethMarch 24, 2025 - June 30, 2025Later Chairman Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority

References

References

  1. "Who Signs On Rupee One Note? Which Was Highest Value Note Printed In India?". NDTV.com.
  2. (July 26, 1979). "Order of Precedence". President's Secretariat.
  3. (July 26, 1979). "Table of Precedence". President's Secretariat.
  4. "Table of Precedence". President's Secretariat.
  5. Maheshwari, S.R.. (2000). "Indian Administration". Orient Blackswan Private Ltd..
  6. "Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure - 14th Edition (2015)". [[Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (India).
  7. (2019-02-11). "Secretary (Economic Affairs) as Finance Secretary doesn't deal with expenditure proposals from the Ministry of Defence; Rather it is Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance which deals with financial sanctions relating to all the Ministries of the Government of India". Press Information Bureau, Government of India.
  8. Laxmikanth, M.. (2014). "Governance in India". McGraw Hill Education.
  9. (May 3, 2017). "Army Pay Rules, 2017". [[Ministry of Defence (India).
  10. "Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India". Seventh Central [[Pay Commission]], [[Government of India]].
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