Ashok Chawla is new Finance Secretary

Mr Ashok Chawla, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Finance Ministry, has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary.

He succeeds Mr Arun Ramanathan, who retired on April 30.

Mr Chawla has also been given additional charge of the Department of Financial Services, which was looked after by Mr Ramanathan.

An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1973 batch (Gujarat cadre), Mr Chawla has been Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs since September, 2008. He had earlier worked as Additional Secretary in the department from April 2005 to January 2007. In between, he was Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, from February 2007 to September 2008.

Mr Chawla is MA (Economics) from Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University and has held various important portfolios in the field of economy, industry, chemicals & fertilizers, oil & natural gas, insurance and infrastructure.

NNN