Appointments

On February 27, 2025, Tuhin Kanta Pandey was appointed as the new Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), succeeding Madhabi Puri Buch. Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey, a 1987-batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre, brings extensive experience in financial and economic policy to his new role.

As the 11th chairman of SEBI, Pandey will serve a three-year term, during which he is expected to focus on enhancing market transparency, investor protection, and the overall stability of the financial markets.

Pandey’s predecessor, Madhabi Puri Buch, was the first woman to lead SEBI and served a three-year term that concluded on February 28, 2025. Her tenure was marked by significant regulatory advancements and initiatives aimed at strengthening the financial ecosystem in India.

Shaktikanta Das, the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has been appointed as Principal Secretary-2 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and will be effective from the date he assumes office.

Das brings a wealth of experience in finance and governance to his new role. He has previously held key positions in the Ministry of Finance and served as a Member of the 15th Finance Commission and India’s G20 Sherpa. His tenure as the 25th Governor of the RBI, from December 2018 to December 2024, was marked by significant decisions on monetary policy, inflation control, and financial sector stability.

In his new role, Das will work alongside Pramod Kumar Mishra, who has been serving as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister since September 2019. Das’s extensive experience in both fiscal and monetary policy is expected to be a valuable asset to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Das’s appointment is seen as a strategic move to bolster the financial management expertise within the Prime Minister’s Office, given the uncertain global economic situation. His deep understanding of economic policy, fiscal management, and governance will be crucial in supporting the Prime Minister’s agenda for economic growth and stability.

The tenure of Chief Economic Adviser Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran has been extended by two years, now set to continue until March 2027. This decision, announced on February 20, 2025, reflects the government’s confidence in his economic policies and vision. Dr. Nageswaran, who first took office in January 2022, has been instrumental in drafting the Economic Survey and advising on various economic policies.

Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran was born in 1963 and is an esteemed Indian economist. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before his appointment as Chief Economic Adviser, he had a distinguished career in the private sector, including roles at Credit Suisse and Bank Julius Baer. He has also served as the Dean of the IFMR Graduate School of Business and a Visiting Professor of Economics at Krea University.

The Central government appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on February 17, 2025, replacing Rajiv Kumar, who will retire on February 18, 2025. Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, is the senior-most among the three-member Election Commission panel.

Along with this, Vivek Joshi was appointed as an Election Commissioner. He previously served as Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner.

The selection was made by a three-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Rahul Gandhi (Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha) and Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) as members. This is the first CEC appointment under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioner Act, 2023, which became effective in December 2023.

Rajiv Kumar, who served as CEC from May 15, 2022, oversaw Lok Sabha elections 2024, Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections 2022, and elections in 31 States/UTs during his tenure, ensuring smooth electoral management with minimal repolling and violence.