Ajay Narayan Jha, the expenditure secretary of India, has been appointed the Union finance secretary, PTI reported on Monday. He replaces Hasmukh Adhia, who retired on November 30. Unique Identification Authority of India chief Ajay Bhushan Pandey had earlier replaced Adhia as revenue secretary.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had appointed Jha, a 1982 batch Indian Administrative Services officer from Manipur cadre, as the expenditure secretary in October, The Economic Times reported. Before that, he was the environment secretary.

Jha is an alumnus of St Stephens College in New Delhi and a recipient of a World Bank scholarship that allowed him to pursue Masters in Economic Policy Management in Canada’s McGill University. He also holds an MPhil in public administration from Delhi University.