At a glance
- The Chief Secretary is the administrative head of the Secretariat and the highest-ranking civil servant of the state.
- In every state the Chief Secretary is also Secretary to the Cabinet, head of the state's civil services and principal adviser to the Chief Minister.
- Article 166: all executive action of the State Government is expressed to be taken in the Governor's name (166(1)), and the Governor makes rules for conducting the government's business and allocating it among Ministers (166(3)).
- The Rajasthan Rules of Business (राजस्थान कार्यविधि नियम) are made under Article 166 and issued by the Cabinet Secretariat.
Constitutional base
Article 166(2): orders made in the Governor's name are authenticated as the Governor's rules lay down, and an order so authenticated cannot be questioned on the ground that the Governor did not make it.
Rule-making under Article 166(3) does not cover business on which the Governor acts in his or her discretion.
The Council of Ministers (Article 163) and the Chief Minister's duty to inform the Governor (Article 167) are on the pages on the Governor and on the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.
The Government Secretariat
Each department has a Minister as its political head and a senior officer (an Additional Chief Secretary, a Principal Secretary or a Secretary) as its administrative head. IAS and RAS officers, the Rajasthan Accounts Service and the Secretariat's own service staff it.
Three sets of rules guide its working: the Rules of Business, the Secretariat Manual and standing orders.
| Rank (from the top) | Usual charge |
|---|---|
| Chief Secretary | Chief of all the Secretaries |
| Additional Chief Secretary | One or more departments |
| Principal Secretary | Administrative head of a department |
| Secretary | A department |
| Special Secretary | A department or part of one |
| Joint Secretary | A wing of a department |
| Deputy Secretary | A division of a department |
The Chief Secretary
In every Indian state the Chief Secretary is the kingpin of the Secretariat, with control over all its departments. Since 1973 the post has carried the rank of a Secretary to the Government of India. The roles below are those of the office in all states.
| Role | What it means |
|---|---|
| Principal adviser to the Chief Minister | Works out what Ministers' proposals mean for administration and turns them into a plan of action |
| Secretary to the Cabinet | Prepares the agenda, arranges the meetings, keeps their records and follows up Cabinet decisions; assists Cabinet committees |
| Head of the civil services | Decides postings and transfers of civil servants |
| Head of General Administration | Heads the General Administration Department, whose political head is the Chief Minister |
| Coordinator-in-chief | Secures cooperation and coordination among the Secretariat departments |
| Residual legatee | Handles matters that fall under no other Secretary |
| Crisis manager | The State's nerve centre in drought, flood or communal trouble, guiding relief work |
| Link with the Centre | Main channel of communication with the Union and other State governments |
Secretariat and directorate
The Secretariat makes policy, advises Ministers and coordinates and controls. The directorates, boards and other executive bodies carry out the policies, laws and schemes. Each Secretariat department usually has several directorates under it.
A department's Secretary is usually a generalist IAS officer; the head of its directorate is usually a specialist.
| Department | Secretariat head | Executive head |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Agriculture Secretary | Director of Agriculture |
| Home | Home Secretary | Director General of Police |
Current Chief Secretary
As of 23 October 2026, the Chief Secretary is V. Srinivas, an IAS officer of the 1989 batch, Rajasthan cadre. He took charge on 17 November 2025 from Sudhansh Pant, who moved to the Centre. With the Centre's approval, the State Government has extended his service by six months, to 28 February 2027.
Remember: often mixed up
- Secretariat vs directoratethe Secretariat is a staff agency (policy, advice); the directorate is a line agency (carrying policy out).
- Chief Secretary vs Chief Ministerthe Chief Minister heads the Council of Ministers; the Chief Secretary is a civil servant and the Cabinet's Secretary.
- Chief Secretary vs Cabinet Secretarythe Centre has no single counterpart; the Chief Secretary's work is shared there by the Cabinet Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Finance Secretary.
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