The Cabinet Secretariat is the apex administrative institution of the Government of India, functioning as the nerve center that supports the Union Cabinet and its committees. Its origins trace back to the British Raj, evolving from the Secretariat of the Executive Council of the Governor-General, which was established following the Indian Councils Act, 1861, to manage the increasing complexity of government business. The institution was formally designated as the Cabinet Secretariat on September 5, 1946, with the formation of the Interim Government. After Independence, its function shifted from merely circulating papers to actively effecting inter-ministerial coordination, solving the problem of fragmented governance.
The Secretariat works by administering the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, which are framed under Article 77(3) of the Constitution. This mechanism ensures the smooth transaction of business by preparing agendas, recording discussions, and monitoring the implementation of Cabinet decisions across ministries. It is headed by the Cabinet Secretary, who is the senior-most civil servant and the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board. The Secretariat connects directly to the Union Council of Ministers and is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister. Related institutions include the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), which operates under its administrative control.
In terms of recent changes, the office was shifted to its new building, Seva Teerth, in the Executive Enclave in September 2025. The core function of administering the 1961 Rules remains the same, but the tenure of the Cabinet Secretary is subject to extensions, such as the one granted to T.V. Somanathan till August 30, 2027. The Secretariat is structurally composed of three wings: Civil, Military, and Intelligence.