Cabinet Secretary

About Cabinet Secretary

• The Cabinet Secretary of India is the most senior administrative servant and the highest-ranking executive official in the Government of India.
  • Position: He is the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat and also the principal and chief advisor to the Prime Minister.
    • He ranks eleventh in the Indian order of precedence and is directly accountable to the Prime Minister.
  • Appointment: He is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by the Prime Minister.
  • Tenure: He is appointed for a fixed two-year term, but his tenure can be extended up to four years, with an additional extension of up to three months possible, as per the amended All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958.
  • Function: To facilitate the smooth functioning of the government by providing secretarial assistance to the Cabinet, coordinating activities among ministries and departments, and resolving inter-ministerial issues through various committees. 
  • Current Cabinet Secretary: The current Cabinet Secretary of India is T. V. Somanathan.

About Cabinet Secretariat

• The Cabinet Secretariat is a department of the Government of India under the Prime Minister’s portfolio. 
• Administrative head: Its administrative head is the Cabinet Secretary, who is the ex officio head of the Civil Services Board and the senior-most IAS officer in the country.
• The Cabinet Secretariat functions directly under the Prime Minister.
• Function:
  • The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments of the Government. 
  • The Cabinet Secretariat provides secretarial support to the Cabinet and its Committees.
  • It ensures coordination among ministries, resolves inter-departmental differences, and helps build consensus through Committees of Secretaries.
  • It manages major crisis situations in the country and coordinates the activities of various Ministries in such situations.
  • It ensures that the President, the Vice President and Ministers are kept informed of the major activities of all Ministries/ Departments by means of a monthly summary of their activities.