
Finance Ministry Reshuffles Top Officials Ahead of Budget 2025-26
Just three weeks before the presentation of the Union Budget 2025-26, the government made a significant move by reshuffling the top team of officials at the Finance Ministry. Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who previously held the position of Finance Secretary, was appointed as the new Revenue Secretary.
Pandey is a seasoned official within the Finance Ministry, having previously held charge of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and the Department of Public Enterprises. He takes over from Arunish Chawla, who was appointed as Revenue Secretary in December 2024 following the departure of Sanjay Malhotra to become Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Chawla has now been posted as Secretary, DIPAM.
This late-night appointment was seen as a strategic move in light of the upcoming Budget on February 1. Pandey's extensive experience with the Budget-making process, coupled with his deep understanding of taxation issues, makes him well-suited for the role of Revenue Secretary.
The Department of Revenue plays a crucial role within the Ministry, overseeing both direct and indirect tax policy measures and managing tax revenue collection for the central government. The complexity of taxation proposals necessitates an official with Pandey's expertise and familiarity with these matters.
This appointment also means that Pandey will now be based full-time in North Block, the main building of the Finance Ministry, as opposed to his previous role which required him to split his time between DIPAM's office in Delhi's CGO Complex and North Block.
Officials noted that juggling the roles of Revenue Secretary and Culture Secretary would have been a challenging task for Chawla. Therefore, the decision to appoint him as Secretary, DIPAM, while also assigning him additional charge of DPE and the Ministry of Culture until a permanent replacement is found, allows him to focus on his core responsibilities.