Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Chief Secretary in a State is appointed by the Governor of that State.
- 2.The Chief Secretary in a State has a fixed tenure.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
The Chief Secretary, the senior-most civil servant of a State, is picked by the Chief Minister and appointed by the State Government; the order only carries the Governor's name because all State executive action is expressed in that name (Article 166). The post has no fixed tenure, which is why the Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended a fixed tenure of at least two years.
- ✗ 1. The choice is the Chief Minister's and the appointment is an executive act of the State Government; the Governor does not select the officer, even though the order is issued in the Governor's name under Article 166(1).
- ✗ 2. No law fixes the Chief Secretary's term; the officer holds the post at the State Government's discretion until moved or retired. The 2nd ARC (15th Report, 2009) asked for a collegium-based panel and a fixed tenure of at least two years.
Remember · Chief Secretary: senior-most State civil servant, chosen by the CM, no fixed tenure; 2nd ARC proposed a collegium panel and a minimum two-year tenure.
Sources
- Second Administrative Reforms Commission, 15th Report: State and District Administration (2009) ↗ “There should be a collegium to recommend a panel of names to the Chief Minister/Cabinet for these two posts. … (b) the Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly and (c) the incumbent Chief Secretary. • There should be a fixed tenure of atleast two years for both these posts.”
- Constitution of India, Article 166(1) ↗ “All executive action of the Government of a State shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Governor.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·