Secretary Reshuffle: Ramesh Abhishek is new DIPP secretary; finance secretary Watal gets 2-month extension

Ramesh Abhishek

IN A secretary-level reshuffle undertaken on Thursday night, the government appointed 1982 batch Bihar cadre IAS Ramesh Abhishek as the successor of Amitabh Kant in DIPP, the department that has been handling government initiatives such as Make in India and Ease of Doing Business. In another development, the government decided to extend the tenure of…

In next 13 days, Shaktikanta Das will be India’s finance secretary; Watal on leave till Jan 3

Shaktikanta Das

FROM today (December 22), department of economic affairs (DEA) secretary and 1980 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS Shaktikanta Das will have a new designation -- finance secretary. But his new designation will last only for 13 days, i.e. till January 3, 2016. In fact, 1978 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS and expenditure secretary Ratan P Watal who is also the finance secretary by virtue of being the senior-most of all the five finance ministry secretaries, will be on…

8% growth, rationalization of Central schemes, appointment of bank CMDs – what top 3 finance ministry secretaries had to say

Adhia (left), Watal during the press meet

FINANCE ministry top bureaucrats on Monday talked about the health of Indian economy: A possible 8% growth, government’s role in passing over benefits of RBI’s soft monetary policy, 5% fall in direct tax collection, rationalization of Central schemes and revamping the process of selection of directors, CMDs of public sector banks, among others. The bureaucrats who participated in the press meet included finance secretary and 1978 batch IAS Ratan P Watal, DEA secretary and 1980 batch IAS Shaktikanta Das, revenue secretary and 1981 batch IAS Hasmukh Adhia, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian, among others. Here are 10 things which the top North Block bureaucrats had to say:

Budget preparation begins amid shaky economic ground; what did 5 Finmin secretaries discuss on Monday?

Finance Ministry secretaries discuss about economy, budget

A DAY before Prime Minister’s meeting on global economic scenario with captains of industry including Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani, Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry and Airtel group chairman Sunil Mittal, RBI Governor, top government officials, bankers and leading economists etc. today at his residence in 7 Race Course Road, the finance ministry on Monday had an all-secretary meeting. Chaired by newly-designated finance secretary and 1978 batch IAS Ratan P Watal (who is also in charge of expenditure department), the meeting took stock of the present economic crisis and discussed about creating a mechanism of better co-ordination among five departments belonging to the finance ministry, as the preparation of the next General Budget, to be presented in February 2016, had actually begun. Now, such meetings involving all five finance ministry departments will be held on…

Would be finance secretary RP Watal chants Sanskrit verses to explain investments, savings

RP Watal

IT’S only a matter of time that expenditure secretary and 1978 batch IAS of Andhra Pradesh cadre RP Watal will get a new designation – finance secretary, as he is the senior most among all five finance ministry secretaries after Arvind Mayaram’s exit of North Block. As expenditure secretary, Watal does not give any television interview, but on Tuesday, his articulation and oratory skill came to the fore when he chanted a…