Know Your Babu: Addl Secretary G C Chaturvedi takes over as head in financial services division of Finance Ministry

G C Chaturvedi, a 1977 batch IAS officer, joined the finance ministry as an additional secretary on Tuesday and will head the financial services department of the ministry. Arun Ramanathan, who retired as finance secretary last week, was looking after the department dealing with banking, insurance, financial institutions etc. himself. Vinod Rai of 1972 batch, who joined as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was earlier secretary to this department. With an additional secretary at the helms now, it would no longer be a full-fledged department. The other four departments in the finance ministry, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Department of Revenue, Department of Expenditure and Department of Investment are headed by full-fledged secretary level officials. However, Mr Chaturvedi’s turn to become secretary is not far away as 1975-batche officials are already designated as secretaries to the Government of India. Know Your Babu Fact-file Name: G C Chaturvedi Cadre & Batch: 1977 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre Date of Birth: 17/01/1953 Place of Domicile: UP Mother Tongue: Hindi Indian Languages Known: English, Hindi

Educational Qualification PG, Physics, First division Earlier postings Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Banking & Insurance, Ministry of Finance (From 26/05/2003 to 19/07/2007) Mission Director & Additional Secretary Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (From 26/12/2007 to 01/05/2009) Foreign Training 1-year course in finance from London School of Economics (LSE), UK, in 1996

DEA secretary Ashok Chawla likely to be next Finance Secretary

Secretary of department of economic affairs (DEA) Ashok Chawla is likely to be the next finance secretary of India, as the current incumbent Arun Ramanathan is retiring on April 30, 2009. Mr Chawla, a 1973 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, had earlier served as the civil aviation secretary in addition to handling the additional charge of secretary, information & broadcasting (I&B). Mr Chawla had earlier served as an additional secretary in the DEA under the ministry of finance. Sources in finmin said that either a 1974 or 1975-batch IAS officer would take over as the secretary of financial services, a department under the finance ministry which Mr Ramanathan has been looking after so far. And that means, Mr Chawla of 1973 batch, will be the senior most secretary in the Finmin, and would thus be designated as the finance secretary. Meanwhile, Mr Ramanathan, a 1973-batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre is likely to be appointed as chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He is already one of the three short-listed candidates for the coveted post. At present, TRAI member, Finance, A K Sawhney has been looking into the day to day activities after Mr Nripendra Misra retired on March 22, 2009.