Chief secretary (India)

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 or Lieutenant Governor.

The salary of Chief Secretary of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, Punjab and Burma was fixed and was same to Joint Secretary to Government of India during the British Raj.^[b] As per Warrant or Precedence of 1905,^[b] Secretary to Government of India was listed together with Joint Secretary to Government of India and was ranked above the rank of Chief Secretary.^[b]

Chief Secretaries are members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) who are the administrative head of state governments.^[4] A Chief Secretary functions as the central point of interdepartmental coordination at the departmental level and is classified as being in the Apex Grade.^[4][5] Chief Secretary is considered to be 'a linchpin' in the administration.^[4][6][7][8] 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.^{[4][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

Traditionally, the most senior IAS officer within a state is chosen as the Chief Secretary;^{[15][16][17][18][19][20]} however, there are exceptions.^{[21][22][23][24]}

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.^{[25][26][27][28][29]} 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.^[30][31]

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 or equivalent rank in the Indian Armed Forces, and are listed as such in the Order of Precedence.^[30][31]

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, 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.^[6]

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 Delhi and Chandigarh, 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 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.^[37]

The position is equivalent in rank to a Special Secretary to the Government of India, and the pay structure is the same as that of a Chief Secretary.

• List of chief secretaries of Assam
• List of chief secretaries of Maharashtra
• List of chief secretaries of Mizoram
• List of chief secretaries of Jharkhand
• Cabinet Secretary of India
• Secretary to Government of India
• Joint Secretary to Government of India
• Principal Secretary
• Head of Forest Forces
• Director General of Police
• Advocate General
• Indian Forest Service
• Indian Administrative Service
• Indian Police Service
• List of chief secretaries of Uttarakhand