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Delhi: Who will be the next PM of India will become clear as soon as the voting results are declared on 4th June. All the parties including BJP and Congress are sweating it out in the scorching heat to form their government. But along with the post of PM, another race is going on in the country. This race is for the top post of Cabinet Secretary in the bureaucracy of the country. The current Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will retire from service in August. The names of three (three) senior IAS officers of 1987 batch are in discussions to get his post. All the three officers have their own specialties and the record of all three has been spotless till now. In such a situation, the decision of who will become the new Cabinet Secretary of the country will be in the hands of the new government coming after 4th June.
Three officers are being discussed
According to sources, the three officers who are being discussed to replace Rajiv Gauba are Jal Shakti Secretary Vini Mahajan, Gujarat Chief Secretary Raj Kumar and Finance Secretary TV Somanathan. All three are senior IAS officers of the 1987 batch. All three are officers who became IAS in the first attempt. Two of these officers have been Chief Secretaries in states. The image of all three officers has been spotless so far.
Former Chief Secretary of Punjab Vini Mahajan
Now we will introduce you to all three officers one by one. Let’s start with Vini Mahajan. She is the daughter of a former Chief Secretary of Punjab. Following in her father’s footsteps, she became an IAS and reached the post of Chief Secretary of Punjab. She is currently the Jal Shakti Secretary in the Central Government. She is known for her rational thinking, coordinated work and honesty. She has worked in the PMO for a long time during Manmohan Singh’s era. If she is selected for the top most post of the country, it will be a history because no woman has become the Cabinet Secretary of the country since independence till date.
Won the trust of PM Modi by staying at the Center
The second name going on in discussions in this war of officers is Rajkumar. Originally from Badaun in UP, Rajkumar is currently the Chief Secretary of Gujarat. He has taken over as Defense Production Secretary during the Modi government in the year 2015. After the end of the six-year term, he returned to Gujarat again in 2021. During his posting at the Center, Rajkumar gained the trust of PM Modi. In such a situation, if PM Modi returns to power again, Rajkumar can be a strong contender for the post of Cabinet Secretary.
Tamil Nadu batch Finance Secretary TV Somanathan
The third and most prominent name for the Cabinet Secretary post is Finance Secretary TV Somanathan. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. The committee led by PM Modi appointed him as Finance Secretary in April 2021. He has great experience in finance management. He has also worked in PMO with former PM Manmohan Singh. If Narendra Modi becomes PM for the third time, he may focus on increasing the country’s economy and job creation. In such a situation, he can play the gamble of making finance expert TV Somanathan the cabinet secretary.
Somnathan has also had a conflict with Jayalalithaa
Interestingly, due to his tough image, Somanathan has also had a conflict with former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa. In the early days of his career, he had ordered a vigilance inquiry in a department under the then CM Jayalalithaa. Jayalalithaa was so enraged by this order that she made it difficult for him to work in Tamil Nadu. When Somanathan tried to go on central deputation, Jayalalithaa refused to relieve him.
The new government will decide on the cabinet secretary
At present, who will become the new cabinet secretary of the country. Whether he will be one of these three officers or the government will choose a name from outside, it will be clear only next month, when the government will be formed and the file for appointment to this post will come before the PM. But it is certain that along with the new PM, the new Cabinet Secretary will also have a deep impact in taking the country forward.
