Cabinet Secretary (India)


The Cabinet Secretary is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the Government of India. The Cabinet Secretary is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat, the Indian Administrative Service, and all civil services under the rules of business of the government.
The Cabinet Secretary is the senior-most cadre post of the Indian Administrative Service, ranking eleventh on the Indian order of precedence. The Cabinet Secretary is under the direct charge of the prime minister. Since 2010, the Cabinet Secretary's term length was extended to a maximum of four years.

History

Origin

The precursor to the cabinet, the Executive Council of the Viceroy, used to have a Secretariat, which was headed by the Private Secretary of the Viceroy. At first, the role of this Secretariat was merely to take care of the paperwork related to the Executive Council but when the work of the individual departments under the Council increased, the work of the Secretariat too became more complex. The Private Secretary came to be known as the secretary of the secretariat. And this post became more powerful over time as the Secretariat's main role became coordinating the work of the departments. In 1946, the secretariat became cabinet secretariat and the secretary became the Cabinet Secretary.
After Independence in 1947, the functions of the Secretariat underwent major changes. A series of committees on economic, defence and intelligence matters was constituted under the Cabinet Secretariat. Most of the departments created after Independence functioned under the Cabinet Secretariat and were later seconded to the respective ministries. The position holder is accountable for ensuring that the civil service is equipped with the skills and capability to meet the everyday challenges it faces and that the civil servants work in a fair and decent environment.

Functions and power

The following are the functions of the Cabinet Secretary:
In the Government of India Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, the Cabinet Secretariat finds a place in the First Schedule to the Rules. The subjects allotted to this Secretariat are, firstly, secretarial assistance to Cabinet and Cabinet Committees, and secondly, the Administration of the Rules of Business.
The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Transaction of Business Rules, 1961 and the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961 of the Government of India, facilitating smooth transaction of business in ministries/departments of the Government by ensuring adherence to these rules. The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst ministries/departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ad hoc Committees of Secretaries. Through this mechanism, new policy initiatives are also promoted.
The Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the President of India, the Vice-President and Ministers are kept informed of the major activities of all departments by means of a monthly summary of their activities. Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating activities of the various ministries in such a situation is also one of the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.
The Cabinet Secretariat comprises three wings: Civil, Military and Intelligence. The Civil wing is considered to be the main wing and provides aid, advice and assistance to the Union Cabinet. The purpose of having the Military wing is to have better coordination in Intelligence and to provide secretarial assistance to the Defence Committee of the Cabinet and the National Defence Council. The Military wing is represented by an officer of the rank of major general, or its equivalents in the Indian Armed Forces, who is designated as a joint secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. The Intelligence wing deals with matters pertaining to the Joint Intelligence Committee of the union cabinet. The chief of the Research and Analysis Wing also officially first reports to the Cabinet Secretary, and is designated Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.
The First Administrative Reforms Commission found that the average tenure of the Cabinet Secretary was two years and eight months, which was considered to be inadequate. It recommended a tenure of three to four years. It also wanted that Cabinet Secretary to act as the principal staff officer to the prime minister, the cabinet and the cabinet committees for important matters.

Head of the All India Civil Services

As head of the Civil Services, the incumbent position holder is accountable for ensuring that the civil services are equipped with the skills and capability to meet the everyday challenges it faces and that civil servants work in a fair and decent environment. The Cabinet Secretary is arguably India's most powerful bureaucrat and the right hand of the Prime Minister of India.

Emolument, accommodation and perquisites

The Cabinet Secretary to Government of India is eligible for a diplomatic passport. The official earmarked residence of the Cabinet Secretary is 32, Prithviraj Road, New Delhi, a Type-VIII bungalow.
The salary and emolument in this rank is equivalent to Chief of the Defence Staff, and its equivalents in the Indian Armed Forces.
Base salary as per 7th Pay Commission Pay matrix levelSources
Pay level 18

List of Cabinet Secretaries of India

It was in 1950 when N.R. Pillai was appointed as the first cabinet secretary. In the past 70 years, a women has never been appointed as a cabinet secretary.
No.NameFromToTenureNotes
1N. R. Pillai6 February 195013 May 19532 years, 7 months, 8 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service. He was the inaugural head of the civil service when India's sovereignty was established.
2Y. N. Sukthankar14 May 195331 July 19574 years, 2 months, 17 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
3M. K. Vellodi1 August 19574 June 195810 months, 3 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service. He earlier served as Chief Minister of Hyderabad State.
4Vishnu Sahay1 July 195810 November 19602 years, 4 months, 9 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
5B. N. Jha10 November 19608 March 19613 months, 26 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
6Vishnu Sahay9 March 196115 April 19621 year, 1 month, 6 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
7S. S. Khera15 April 196218 November 19642 years, 7 months, 3 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service. He is the first Sikh to become Cabinet Secretary. He is known for use of tanks against rioters at the Meerut riots of 1947.
8Dharma Vira18 November 196427 June 19661 year, 7 months, 9 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
9D. S. Joshi27 June 196631 December 19682 years, 6 months, 4 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
10B. Sivaraman1 January 196930 November 19701 year, 10 months, 29 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
11T. Swaminathan1 December 19702 November 19721 year, 11 months, 1 dayHe was in the Indian Civil Service.
12B. D. Pande2 November 197231 March 19774 years, 4 months, 29 daysHe was in the Indian Civil Service. He is the longest-serving Cabinet Secretary in the history of a sovereign India.
13N. K. Mukarji31 March 197731 March 19803 yearsHe was in the Indian Civil Service and the last ICS officer to become head of the civil service of a sovereign India.
14S. S. Grewal2 April 198030 April 19811 year, 28 daysShe was in the Indian Administrative Service.
15C. R. Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib30 April 19818 February 19853 years, 9 months, 9 daysHe was in the IAS.
16P. K. Kaul8 February 198522 August 19861 year, 6 months, 14 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
17B. G. Deshmukh23 August 198627 March 19892 years, 7 months, 4 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
18T. N. Seshan27 March 198923 December 19898 months, 26 daysHe belongs to the IAS. He is the shortest serving Cabinet Secretary ever in the history of Independent India.
19V. C. Pande23 December 198911 December 199011 months, 18 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
20Naresh Chandra11 December 199031 July 19921 year, 7 months, 20 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
21S. Rajagopal1 August 199231 July 199311 months, 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
22Zafar Saifullah31 July 199331 July 19941 yearHe belongs to the IAS.
23Surendra Singh1 August 199431 July 19961 year, 11 months, 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
24T. S. R. Subramanian1 August 199631 March 19981 year, 7 months, 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
25Prabhat Kumar1 April 199831 October 20002 years, 6 months, 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
26T. R. Prasad1 November 200031 October 20021 year, 11 months, 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
27Kamal Pande1 November 200214 June 20041 year, 7 months, 13 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
28B. K. Chaturvedi14 June 200413 June 20072 years, 11 months, 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
29K. M. Chandrasekhar14 June 200713 June 20113 years 11 months 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
30Ajit Seth14 June 201113 June 20153 years 11 months 30 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
31P. K. Sinha14 June 201530 August 20194 years 2 months 16 daysHe belongs to the IAS.
32Rajiv Gauba30 August 2019IncumbentHe belongs to the IAS.