The Modi government on Wednesday appointed outgoing Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba as Cabinet Secretary for two years. His tenure will be effective from August 30, 2019, as per the official order.
The order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training has stated that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had also approved his appointment as Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat with immediate effect till he takes over as Cabinet Secretary from August 30.
A 1982 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, Mr. Gauba will replace P.K. Sinha, who was appointed Cabinet Secretary in 2015 who continues since then, getting several extensions beyond his two-year tenure.
“Mr. Gauba is a trusted officer of the government,” a top official said, adding his selection to the country’s top bureaucratic position was on expected lines.
Defence Secretary
In another top appointment, Ajay Kumar, Secretary, Defence Production, has been shifted as Secretary, Defence, but without two years’ tenure.
It seems the government has done away with the two-year tenure for the Defence Secretary post. Along with the posts of Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, External Affairs Secretary, the Defence Secretary post was also a two-year tenure one.
Mr. Kumar is a 1985 batch IAS officer belonging to Kerala cadre and will replace Sanjay Mitra, who was Defence Secretary for more than two years and on completion of his two-year tenure in June this year, he was given three months’ extension.
In Defence Production, Mr. Kumar has been replaced with Subhash Chandra, a 1986 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer.
Another 1985 batch IAS officer Brij Kumar Agarwal has been appointed Secretary, Lokpal. He is from Himachal Pradesh cadre.
