Seth assumes charge as cabinet secretary

The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) had last month cleared Seth's appointment. An official statement released after the ACC meeting had said that Seth's appointment as next cabinet secretary had been approved "with effect from June 14, 2011."

Seth, who was serving as secretary (Public Grievances and Coordination), was last month appointed officer on special duty in the cabinet secretariat. As cabinet secretary, Seth will head cabinet secretariat, which is the top agency for coordination among the different union ministries. The post has a fixed two-year term.

Born Nov 24, 1951, Seth did his bachelor's and master's in chemistry from St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, and his M.Phil in Life Sciences from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He also has a master's degree in development finance from Birmingham University. He is a product of St Columba's School, New Delhi.

He has served key positions both in Uttar Pradesh and in the central government. For five years, he was joint secretary in the textiles ministry. Earlier in the 1980s, he served in the commerce ministry and was first secretary for over three years in the permanent mission of India to the United Nations at Geneva.