Why In News?

Disclosures under the Right to Information Act, 2005 showed that the Cabinet Secretariat declined to act on two Election Commissioners' complaints against a senior officer, upholding the Election Commission of India's constitutional autonomy under Article 324.

What is the Cabinet Secretariat?

Cabinet Secretariat is an Apex administrative body under the Prime Minister that provides secretarial assistance to the Cabinet and Cabinet Committees and coordinates government departments.

  • Core Mandate: Implements the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and Transaction of Business Rules, 1961, framed under Article 77(3).

  • Origin: The Secretariat of the Executive Council was renamed the Cabinet Secretariat on 5 September 1946.

  • Evolution: It evolved from a body handling Cabinet papers into an institution facilitating inter-ministerial coordination and monitoring Cabinet decisions.

Who is the Cabinet Secretary?

Cabinet Secretary is the Administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat and ex-officio Chairperson of the Civil Services Board. 

  • Acts as the principal administrative adviser to the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet, ensuring institutional continuity during political transitions.  

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The post of Cabinet Secretary is not explicitly mentioned in the  Constitution of India. 

  • The office derives its legal mandate from executive rules framed by the President under Article 77(3), specifically the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961.  

Order of Precedence: As the senior-most civil servant of the Union Government and head of the permanent executive, the officer ranks Rank 11 on the Indian Order of Precedence, placing the position directly alongside the Attorney General for India and above all other civil and military officers.  

Tenure: Initial appointment is for 2 years, extendable up to a maximum total term of 5 years by relaxing Fundamental Rule 56(d) and Rule 16(1A) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.  

Current: T. V. Somanathan, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, assumed office on 30 August 2024; his tenure was extended until August 2027.

Responsibilities Of The Cabinet Secretary 

Serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board (CSB) and the Senior Selection Board, recommending senior postings for Joint Secretaries, Additional Secretaries, and Secretaries to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). 

Functions as Chairman of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), orchestrating inter-ministerial relief, defense deployment, and state coordination during major national emergencies under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. 

Chairs the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) to resolve inter-departmental policy deadlocks before cabinet submission, and convenes the annual Conference of Chief Secretaries of States to align federal policy implementation.

Prepares formal agendas, records minutes, and monitors decision implementation across Union Ministries through digital monitoring tools like eSamikSha and PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation).  

Source: INDIANEXPRESS

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to the Cabinet Secretary of India, consider the following statements:

1. The office of the Cabinet Secretary is explicitly created by Article 77 of the Constitution of India.

2. The Cabinet Secretary serves as the ex-officio Chairman of both the Civil Services Board and the National Crisis Management Committee.

3. The salary of the Cabinet Secretary is fixed at Level 18 of the Pay Matrix under the IAS (Pay) Rules, 2016.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The office of the Cabinet Secretary is not explicitly created by Article 77 of the Constitution of India. Instead, the post evolved administratively and is governed by the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, and the Transaction of Business Rules, 1961, framed under Article 77(3).

Statement 2 is correct: The Cabinet Secretary serves as the ex-officio Chairman of both the Civil Services Board and the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).

Statement 3 is correct: The basic pay of the Cabinet Secretary is fixed at Level 18 of the Pay Matrix (₹2,50,000 per month) under the IAS (Pay) Rules, 2016.