Cabinet Secretary of India

The Cabinet Secretary is the highest ranking executive officer and senior-most civil servant of the country who heads the Cabinet Secretariat. Over the period, this position gradually progressed to become one of the most powerful positions in the nation. N.R. Pillai served as India’s first Cabinet Secretary and Rajiv Gauba, who has held the position since 2019, is the current incumbent.

The Cabinet Secretary, who serves as the ex-officio chairman of the civil services board, is the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat. He is the principal advisor to the Prime Minister.

Appointment and Tenure of Cabinet Secretary:

A Cabinet Secretary is appointed for a fixed term of two years. The government may grant a Cabinet Secretary an extension in service under the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958, provided that the cumulative tenure does not exceed four years. In accordance with the new guidelines, the central government may grant a Cabinet Secretary an extension in service for a further term of up to three months after the initial four-years mandate.

There is no standard process for appointing a Cabinet Secretary. Generally, the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister approves the candidate for the position based on the candidate’s ability, character, seniority, administrative experience, and the confidence of the Prime Minister.

What is Cabinet Secretariat?

Cabinet Secretariat is the branch of the office of the Executive Council that directly advises and supports the Prime Minister and Cabinet on non-partisan policy matters. The cabinet is the forum in which ministers reach agreements on goals, policies, and initiatives, while the Prime Minister holds the Chair of the Cabinet and oversees the Cabinet process, how the overall government policy is developed and ministerial activities are coordinated. 

The Cabinet Secretariat functions directly under the Prime Minister while the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary.

The following services are offered by Cabinet Secretariat to carry out its mandate-

• Support to the Premier (Prime Minister) and Cabinet
• Support to the Lieutenant Governor and other dignitaries
• Provide financial, operational and administrative services.
• Provide information management, protection and disclosure
• Recognition of public service excellence
• Building executive capacity

Powers and Responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary:

• The Cabinet Secretary is directly accountable to the Prime Minister, the President, and the Vice-President of the country, where he/she is required to notify any significant information regarding the cabinet’s decisions and operations to them.
• He/she is not assigned to any one ministry or even the PMO (Prime Minister’s office); rather, he is the common link of efficient functioning between all the authorities and ministries in the Cabinet Secretariat. In the event of a disagreement between the cabinets or any uncertainty, the secretary explains all correspondence. 
• He/she is the chief staff functionary of the Prime Minister and is even sometimes referred to as the Prime Minister’s “ear and eye” and the principal power.
• Serves as the head of the Cabinet Secretariat, providing a centralized organisation for various agencies that are not part of a any ministry or department.
• He is also the head of all civil services in India and is accountable for ensuring the impartiality and disciplined functioning of the most desired bureaucratic position in the country.
• The Cabinet secretary acts as a secretary to the Council of Ministers(CoM). He coordinates key administrative initiatives and strategies of the Indian Government.
• He must keep the Prime minister fully informed of all the information and data that may be needed at the time of the meeting.
• It is the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary to prepare the agenda for various committee meetings of the Cabinet and maintain the record and minutes of such meetings.
• He is also the link between India’s bureaucrats and the political dignitaries of India.
• Major bodies of the nation include the cabinet, military, intelligence agencies etc, all the sectors of the government may be summoned at one place, and the head of the secretariat serves as the focal point of communication.

Conclusion:

The position of a Cabinet Secretary is the most coveted and influential in the Indian Civil Services. It serves as the connection between all of the cabinet members and significantly aids in the efficient functioning of the government. Government must appoint the most eligible civil servant as Cabinet Secretary. The person in this post must use discretion in the concerning matters as Cabinet Secretary is one of the greatest crisis managers of the nation and coordinator of several ministries.