Vini Mahajan in race for Cabinet Secretary’s post

New Delhi, May 24

Even as Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba’s tenure will end in August this year, there are speculations that top bureaucrats Vini Mahajan and TV Somanathan are being considered for the top post.

Mahajan, a secretary in the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, is a 1987-batch Punjab-cadre Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer. The former Chief Secretary of Punjab had worked in the PMO during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, which may work in her favour.

Finance Secretary Somanathan is a 1987-batch Tamil Nadu-cadre IAS officer.

Gauba, a Jharkhand-cadre 1982-batch IAS officer, will be the longest serving Cabinet Secretary with a five-year tenure. His predecessor Pradeep Kumar Sinha had remained on the post for four years and 79 days.