Former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das assumes charge as 25th RBI Governor

On December 12, Former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, retired IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, 1980 batch, assumed charge as the 25th RBI Governor for a period of three years.

Das succeeds Dr. Urjit Patel, who resigned with immediate effect on December 10 citing personal reasons. Dr. Patel, whose term was to end in September 2019, had on December 10 said, “On account of personal reasons, I have decided to step down from my current position effective immediately. It has been my privilege and honor to serve in the Reserve Bank of India in various capacities over the years. The support and hard work of RBI staff, officers, and management has been the proximate driver of the Bank’s considerable accomplishments in recent years. I take this opportunity to express gratitude to my colleagues and Directors of the RBI Central Board, and wish them all the best for the future.”

Shaktikanta Das (born February 26, 1957) is a retired 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. He was earlier a member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission of India and India's Sherpa to the G20.

During his career as an IAS officer, Das served in various capacities for Indian and Tamil Nadu governments, including as Principal Secretary (Industries), Special Commissioner (Revenue), Secretary (Revenue), Secretary (Commercial Taxes), project director of Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society and as the District Magistrate and Collector of Dindigul and Kancheepuram districts in the Tamil Nadu government; and as Union Economic Affairs Secretary, Union Revenue Secretary, Union Fertilizers Secretary, Special Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance and as a Joint Secretary in the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance in the Indian government.

Das also had a stint with Mahindra Industrial Park Ltd (Mahindra World City), on deputation to a private sector company under Rule 6(2)(ii) of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954. He was appointed Union Revenue Secretary by the prime minister led-Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) in June 2014; he assumed the office of Secretary on June 16, 2014 and demitted it on August 31, 2015. He was appointed Union Economic Affairs Secretary by ACC in August 2015, assumed the office of Secretary on August 31, 2015, and admitted it and simultaneously superannuated from service on May 28, 2017, after being given a three-month extension by the government.

During his tenure as Union Economic Affairs Secretary, Das was widely regarded as one of the most powerful civil servants in India.