Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba’s tenure extended by another year

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The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 6 August extended the tenure of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba for a period of one year beyond August 30, 2022.

Important facts

• Gauba, a 1982-batch Jharkhand cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was first appointed cabinet secretary in 2019 for a period of two years.

• He got an extension in service in 2021.

• His predecessor PK Sinha, a 1977-batch IAS officer who had got thrice extension, was one of the longest-serving cabinet secretaries.

• Sinha replaced Ajit Kumar Seth in June 2015. Ajit Kumar Seth, appointed in 2011 during the Congress-led UPA government regime, completed his tenure in 2013 but was given a year’s extension. 

• After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, Seth was given two extensions.

• Gauba had served as the Union Home Secretary before being appointed as the Cabinet Secretary in 2019.

• He has also served as Secretary in the Union Ministry of Urban Development and as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• He served as the Chief Secretary in Jharkhand for 15 months before joining the Central Government in 2016.

About Cabinet Secretary

• The Cabinet Secretary is the highest executive officer and senior most civil servant of the Government of India.

• He is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat, the IAS and all civil services under the rules of the government.

• He is directly in charge under the Prime Minister and appointed for a fixed term of two years.

Function of Cabinet Secretary

• One of the main functions of the Cabinet Secretary is to preside over the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries on Administrative Affairs.

• He also presides over the Conference of Chief Secretaries.

• Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating the activities of various ministries in such situations is also included in the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.