While in Uttar Pradesh, Seth served as Principal Secretary (Rural Development), Principal Secretary (Vigilance) and Secretary (Home and Confidential), besides having had stints in Industries and Cooperatives departments.
He also served as Divisional Commissioner of Kumaon division in Nainital and District Magistrate of Mainpuri and Lucknow districts.
Seth's predecessor K M Chandrasekar, who retired in June 2011, was given two year-long extensions in 2009 and 2010.
Chandrasekar, who was appointed as Cabinet Secretary on June 14, 2007, had served for four years.
The Cabinet Secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister. The administrative head of the Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.
The Cabinet Secretariat assists in decision-making in government by ensuring inter-ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst ministries or departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing or adhoc committees of secretaries.
Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, who is due to retire on June 14, was on Monday given a six-month extension in service, the second time he has got it in the top bureaucratic post.
The extension of Seth, 62, was approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The government has approved extension of Seth as Cabinet Secretary for a period of six months with effect from June 14 or till further orders, whichever is earlier, an official notification said.
Seth, a 1974-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, had taken over as Cabinet Secretary on June 14, 2011 with a fixed tenure upto June 14, 2013. The UPA government had extended his tenure by a year.
Born on November 24, 1951, Seth is known to be a meticulous bureaucrat.
Seth, who is 30th Cabinet Secretary, has served in various key positions in Uttar Pradesh government and at the Centre.
Seth had been Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat since January 2009.