# Finance Secretary (India)

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.
Finance Secretary monthly pay and allowances :
| Base Salary as per 7th Pay Commission (Per month) | Pay Matrix Level | Sources |
| ₹225,000 (US$2,600) | Pay Level 17 | |

## List of former finance secretaries

| # | Name | Period | Notes / Ref(s) |
| 1 | K.R.K Menon | 1949 – 1950 | |
| 2 | K. G. Ambegaonkar | 1950 – 1955 | Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 1957. |
| 3 | Hirubhai M. Patel | 1955 – 1958 | Served as the Defence Secretary (1947-53)Served as the Minister of Finance (1977-79)Served as the Home Minister (1979) |
| 4 | A. K. Roy | 1958 – 1960 | |
| 5 | S. Bhoothalingam | 1960 – 1964 | |
| 6 | Lakshmi Kant Jha | 1964 – 1966 | Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1967 to 1970 |
| 7 | Sarukkai Jagannathan | 1967 – 1968 | Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1970 to 1975 |
| 8 | I. G. Patel | 1968 – 1972 | Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1977 to 1982 |
| 9 | P. K. Kaul | 1973 – 1975 | |
| 10 | N. C. Sen Gupta | 1975 | Later served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from May to August, 1975 |
| 11 | Montek Singh Ahluwalia | 1993 – 1998 | A 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. |
| 12 | Vijay Laxman Kelkar | 1998 – 1999 | Renowned Indian Economist And Academic |
| 13 | Ashok Lavasa | 2016 – 2017 | Later EC, Election Commission of India and then VP, Asian Development Bank |
| 14 | Hasmukh Adhia | 2017 – 2018 | Later Chairman, Bank of Baroda |
| 15 | Ajay Narayan Jha | 2018 – February 2019 | Later Member, Fifteenth Finance Commission, Sixteenth Finance Commission |
| 16 | Subhash Chandra Garg | March 2019 – July 2019 | Served as Secretary (EA) from 2017 and designated FS in March 2019. |
| 17 | Rajiv Kumar | August 2019 – 2020 | Later served as Election Commissioner and then Chief Election Commissioner of India |
| 18 | Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey | March 3, 2020 to February 28, 2021 | Later Chairman National Financial Reporting Authority |
| 19 | Dr. T. V. Somanathan | April 28, 2021 to August 30, 2024 | Later Cabinet Secretary of India |
| 20 | Tuhin Kanta Pandey | September 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025 | Later Chairman Securities and Exchange Board of India |