Context: T.V. Somanathan has been appointed Cabinet Secretary of India following the superannuation of Rajiv Gauba.
About The Office of Cabinet Secretariat
- The Cabinet Secretariat was created in 1947.
- It is headed politically by the Prime Minister and administratively by the Cabinet Secretary
- The Cabinet Secretariat has three wings – Civil Wing, Military Wing and Intelligence Wing.
- It enjoys the status of a department of the Government of India under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961
- The Cabinet Secretariat has subject related advisors to the Prime Minister
Function of Cabinet Secretariat:
- To provide secretarial assistance to the cabinet
- To prepare for the meetings of the cabinet
- Providing information and material for its deliberations
- It keeps a record of the discussions and decision of the cabinet, circulation of memorandum on issues awaiting cabinet approval and circulation of the cabinet decisions to all the ministries.
- Preparation and submission of monthly summaries on many specified subjects to the cabinet.
- It oversees the implementation of the cabinet decisions by the concerned ministries and other executive agencies.
- It functions as the prime coordinating agency in the government of India.
Cabinet Secretary:
- The office of Cabinet Secretary was created in 1950.
- He is appointed by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet on the basis of Seniority-cum-merit.
- The Cabinet Secretary functions under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
- The chief function of the Cabinet Secretary is to aid the council of ministers, ensure inter-ministerial coordination, he deals primarily with cabinet affairs.
- Responsible for administration of Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961.
- He is the head of the civil service and ensures that the moral of the civil servants remain high.
He also acts as a buffer between the politicians and the civil servants and protect the interest of the latter in situations of conflict between the two. - He is also the ex-officio Chairman of Civil Services Board (CSB).