The Chief Secretary is the highest-ranking executive official and

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

of the government of an Indian state. The Chief Secretary is the ''

ex-officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term ''List of Latin phrases (E)#ex officio, ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the off ...

'' head of the state Civil Services Board, the State Secretariat, the state cadre

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...

and all civil services under the rules of business of the state government. The Chief Secretary acts as the principal advisor to the

chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

on all matters of state administration. The Chief Secretary is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The Chief Secretary is the senior-most cadre post in the state administration, ranking 23rd on the Indian order of precedence. The Chief Secretary acts as an ''ex-officio'' secretary to the state cabinet, therefore called ''"Secretary to the Cabinet"''. The status of this post is equal to that of a Secretary to the Government of India.

History

The position of Chief Secretary dates back to the colonial era during British rule in India and has evolved considerably since then. It was introduced by the British Colonial Government, replacing the previous system where the highest administrative officer in the provinces was known as the " Secretary to Government." The Chief Secretary, originally referred to as the "Secretary to the Government of the Province," was a senior bureaucrat who served as the main link between the British government and the provincial administration. This officer was responsible for overseeing the daily workings of the government machinery, advising the provincial governor, and implementing the policies of the colonial administration. During the British period, the Chief Secretary was typically a senior Imperial Civil Service (ICS) officer, a position largely dominated by the British until India gained independence in 1947. The Chief Secretary was seen as the head of the administration at the provincial level and reported directly to the

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

or Lieutenant Governor. The salary of Chief Secretary of

United Provinces of Agra and Oudh The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 22 March 1902 to 1937; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces (UP), by which the province ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

and

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

was fixed and was same to Joint Secretary to Government of India during the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. As per Warrant or Precedence of 1905, Secretary to Government of India was listed together with Joint Secretary to Government of India and was ranked above the rank of Chief Secretary.

States

Chief Secretaries are members of the

(IAS) who are the administrative head of state governments. A Chief Secretary functions as the central point of interdepartmental coordination at the departmental level and is classified as being in the Apex Grade. Chief Secretary is considered to be 'a linchpin' in the administration. Chief Secretary of the state also acts as the ''ex-officio'' Chairman of the State Civil Service Board, which recommends transfer/postings of officers of All India Services and State Civil Services in the state. Traditionally, the most senior IAS officer within a state is chosen as the Chief Secretary; however, there are exceptions. Chief Secretaries are assisted by Additional Chief Secretaries or Special Chief Secretaries, depending on the state, and Principal Secretaries, who are the administrative heads of departments they are assigned to. Chief Secretaries are chosen by the state's

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

. State Chief Secretaries are IAS officers generally equivalent in rank to a Secretary to Government of India and are placed 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence. The post of Chief Secretary of a State Government is equivalent to senior three-star rank officers in the armed forces who are in the C-in-C (Commanding-in-Chief) grade or vice chiefs of staff, holding the rank of

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

or equivalent rank in the

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the armed forces, military forces of the India, Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Ar ...

, and are listed as such in the

Order of Precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of importance applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. For individuals, it is most often used for diplomats in attendance at very formal occasions. It can also be used in the context of ...

Union territories

In the union territories, which are governed by Administrators, Chief Secretaries are absent. In these territories an Adviser to the Administrator is appointed by the Union Government. However, the union territories of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, which have been granted partial statehood, do have Chief Secretaries. In Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, the Chief Minister chooses the Chief Secretary and is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. Chief Secretaries and Advisers to the Administrators of Union territories, in general, are junior in rank compared to the Chief Secretaries of the States. The office bearers generally are of the rank Joint Secretary to Government of India and its equivalents. However, in

and

Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...

, the topmost civil servant is either of the ranks of Secretary to Government of India and its equivalents or Additional Secretary to Government of India and its equivalents.

Additional Chief Secretary

Additional Chief Secretary is a senior administrative position in the state governments of India, held by an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The rank is above that of a Principal Secretary and below the Chief Secretary, who is the topmost civil servant in the state. Officers serving as Additional Chief Secretaries are usually in charge of key departments such as Home, Finance, Revenue, or Industries. They are responsible for overseeing the implementation of government policies and programs, and they report to the Chief Secretary and the political executive, including the Chief Minister and relevant ministers. The position is equivalent in rank to a Special Secretary to the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

, and the pay structure is the same as that of a Chief Secretary.

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Refend Civil Services of India Indian government officials State governments of India Indian Administrative Service officers