Cabinet Secretaries of India

The Cabinet Secretary is the senior-most civil servant in India and serves as the head of the Cabinet Secretariat. Acting as the top coordinator of the central government administration, the Cabinet Secretary plays a crucial role in policy implementation, inter-ministerial coordination, and advising the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Updated On - 04 Apr 2026
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Here is a list of all the Cabinet Secretaries of India of India and their time in office: 

Name

Duration (Start – End)

Political Party

Prime Minister(s) During Tenure

T. V. Somanathan

30 August 2024 – Incumbent

Not Applicable (Civil Servant)

Narendra Modi

Rajiv Gauba

30 August 2019 – 30 August 2024

Not Applicable

Narendra Modi

P. K. Sinha

14 June 2015 – 30 August 2019

Not Applicable

Narendra Modi

Ajit Seth

14 June 2011 – 13 June 2015

Not Applicable

Manmohan Singh / Narendra Modi

K. M. Chandrasekhar

14 June 2007 – 13 June 2011

Not Applicable

Manmohan Singh

B. K. Chaturvedi

14 June 2004 – 13 June 2007

Not Applicable

Manmohan Singh

Kamal Pandey

1 November 2002 – 14 June 2004

Not Applicable

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

T. R. Prasad

1 November 2000 – 31 October 2002

Not Applicable

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Prabhat Kumar

1 April 1998 – 31 October 2000

Not Applicable

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

T. S. R. Subramanian

1 August 1996 – 31 March 1998

Not Applicable

H. D. Deve Gowda / I. K. Gujral

Surendra Singh

1 August 1994 – 31 July 1996

Not Applicable

P. V. Narasimha Rao

Zafar Saifullah

31 July 1993 – 31 July 1994

Not Applicable

P. V. Narasimha Rao

S. Rajagopal

1 August 1992 – 31 July 1993

Not Applicable

P. V. Narasimha Rao

Naresh Chandra

11 December 1990 – 31 July 1992

Not Applicable

Chandra Shekhar / P. V. Narasimha Rao

V. C. Pande

23 December 1989 – 11 December 1990

Not Applicable

V. P. Singh / Chandra Shekhar

T. N. Seshan

27 March 1989 – 23 December 1989

Not Applicable

Rajiv Gandhi

B. G. Deshmukh

23 August 1986 – 27 March 1989

Not Applicable

Rajiv Gandhi

P. K. Kaul

8 February 1985 – 22 August 1986

Not Applicable

Rajiv Gandhi

C. R. Krishnaswamy Rao

30 April 1981 – 8 February 1985

Not Applicable

Indira Gandhi / Rajiv Gandhi

S. S. Grewal

2 April 1980 – 30 April 1981

Not Applicable

Indira Gandhi

N. K. Mukarji

31 March 1977 – 31 March 1980

Not Applicable

Morarji Desai / Charan Singh / Indira Gandhi

B. D. Pandey

2 November 1972 – 31 March 1977

Not Applicable

Indira Gandhi

T. Swaminathan

1 December 1970 – 2 November 1972

Not Applicable

Indira Gandhi

B. Sivaraman

1 January 1969 – 30 November 1970

Not Applicable

Indira Gandhi

D. S. Joshi

27 June 1966 – 31 December 1968

Not Applicable

Indira Gandhi

Dharma Vira

18 November 1964 – 27 June 1966

Not Applicable

Lal Bahadur Shastri / Indira Gandhi

S. S. Khera

15 April 1962 – 18 November 1964

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru / Lal Bahadur Shastri

Vishnu Sahay

9 March 1961 – 15 April 1962

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru

B. N. Jha

10 November 1960 – 8 March 1961

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru

Vishnu Sahay

1 July 1958 – 10 November 1960

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru

M. K. Vellodi

1 August 1957 – 4 June 1958

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru

Y. N. Sukthankar

14 May 1953 – 31 July 1957

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru

N. R. Pillai

6 February 1950 – 13 May 1953

Not Applicable

Jawaharlal Nehru

FAQs on Cabinet Secretary of India

  1. Who is the current Cabinet Secretary of India?

    T. V. Somanathan is the current Cabinet Secretary of India. He took office in August 2024 and is the senior-most civil servant in the Government of India.

  2. Who was the first Cabinet Secretary of India?

    N. R. Pillai was the first Cabinet Secretary of India. He served from 1950 to 1953 and helped establish the administrative structure of the Cabinet Secretariat after Independence.

  3. What is the role of the Cabinet Secretary in India?

    The Cabinet Secretary is the top bureaucrat of the Government of India and heads the Cabinet Secretariat. The role includes coordinating between ministries, ensuring smooth implementation of Cabinet decisions, and advising the Prime Minister and senior officials on administrative matters.

  4. How is the Cabinet Secretary of India appointed?

    The Cabinet Secretary is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which is led by the Prime Minister. The officer is usually selected from the senior-most IAS officers with extensive administrative experience.

  5. What is the tenure of a Cabinet Secretary in India?

    The standard tenure of a Cabinet Secretary is typically two years, but it can be extended by the government depending on administrative requirements and performance.

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