# Rajiv Gauba
**Rajiv Gauba** (राजीव गौबा; born 1959) is an Indian civil servant, a retired officer of the 1982 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from the [Jharkhand](https://www.edgepedia.org/jharkhand) cadre, who served as Cabinet Secretary of the [Government of India](https://www.edgepedia.org/government-of-india) from 30 August 2019 to 30 August 2024 and is now a Full-Time Member of NITI Aayog.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current position | Full-Time Member, NITI Aayog, with effect from 26 March 2025[1](https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-05/Appointment%20Notification%20Sh.%20Rajiv%20%20Gauba%2C%20IAS%20%2C%20Member.pdf) |
| Service | IAS, Jharkhand cadre, 1982 batch[1](https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-05/Appointment%20Notification%20Sh.%20Rajiv%20%20Gauba%2C%20IAS%20%2C%20Member.pdf) |
| Cabinet Secretary | 30 August 2019 to 30 August 2024, described by NITI Aayog as the longest-serving Cabinet Secretary[2](https://cabsec.gov.in/aboutus/cabinetsecretaries/?pagename=cabinetsecretaries&parentpagename=aboutus) • [3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba) |
| Union Home Secretary | 2017 to 2019, covering the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of Jammu & Kashmir[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba) |
| Urban Development Secretary | 2016 to 2017, leading the Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, and Swachh Bharat Urban[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba) |
| Chief Secretary, Jharkhand | 2015 to 2016, during which Jharkhand rose from the bottom to third place in Ease of Doing Business rankings among Indian states[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba) |
| IMF posting | Senior Adviser to the Executive Director, International Monetary Fund (2001-2005)[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba) |
## Early career
Gauba hails from Punjab, was born in 1959, and is a physics graduate of Patna University[4](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=138472). He joined the IAS in 1982 and began his career in Bihar, then a single cadre with Jharkhand, serving as Collector and District Magistrate for seven years in the districts of Gaya, Nalanda, and [Muzaffarpur](https://www.edgepedia.org/muzaffarpur)[4](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=138472). Between 2001 and 2005 he was Senior Adviser to the Executive Director at the [International Monetary Fund](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-monetary-fund); the Prime Minister's Office describes him as representing India for four years on the Board of the IMF[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba) • [5](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/).
He later served in senior central government positions across the Ministries of Home, Defence, Finance, Environment and Forests, and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology[4](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=138472). As Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, he prepared a multi-pronged action plan in 2015 to tackle Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and steered its implementation, which the government credits with significantly shrinking the Maoists' area of influence[5](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/).
## Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, 2015-2016
Gauba became Chief Secretary of Jharkhand in 2015 and held the post for fifteen months[4](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=138472). During this tenure he introduced governance and economic reforms including lateral entry of professionals, restructuring and downsizing of ministries, and labor reforms[5](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/). Jharkhand rose from the bottom of the Ease of Doing Business table to third rank among Indian states during his tenure[5](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/).
## Urban Development Secretary, 2016-2017
On 1 April 2016 Gauba took over as [Secretary to the Government of India](https://www.edgepedia.org/secretary-to-the-government-of-india) in the Ministry of Urban Development, succeeding Madhusudhan Prasad[4](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=138472). He led the [Smart Cities Mission](https://www.edgepedia.org/smart-cities-mission), the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and Swachh Bharat Urban, along with reforms in urban governance[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba). In July 2016 he released the ICRIER report *Better Cities, Better Economy, Better Climate: Shining New Light on India's Smart Urban Opportunity* in New Delhi[6](https://icrier.org/pdf/AnnualReport2015-16.pdf).
## Union Home Secretary, 2017-2019
As Union Home Secretary, Gauba was one of the key implementers of the government's decision to abrogate Article 370 and reorganize the state of Jammu & Kashmir, and is credited by the [Prime Minister's Office](https://www.edgepedia.org/prime-ministers-office-india) with the smooth implementation of the decision; working with a small core team, he gave final shape to the constitutional and legal aspects while working out administrative and security arrangements[5](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/). [NITI Aayog](https://www.edgepedia.org/niti-aayog) also credits him with the formulation and implementation of the "National Action Plan to Combat Left Wing Extremism"[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba). In 2018, addressing a counter-terrorism conference organized by the think tank India Foundation, he called for a code of conduct for media organizations reporting on terrorism, including omitting names and images of attackers[7](https://presscouncil.nic.in/Pdf/PCIREVIEWAPRIL2018.pdf).
## Cabinet Secretary, 2019-2024
Gauba took over as Cabinet Secretary on 30 August 2019 after the superannuation of P.K. Sinha[5](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/). The post, which heads the Cabinet Secretariat and the civil services, functions directly under the Prime Minister and is responsible for inter-ministerial coordination, secretarial assistance to the Cabinet and its committees, and administration of the Transaction of Business and Allocation of Business Rules[8](https://cabsec.gov.in/aboutus/functions/).
His five-year tenure was extended beyond the normal date: the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved an extension in service for one year beyond 30 August 2023, in relaxation of the applicable service rules[9](https://starsunfolded.com/rajiv-gauba/). NITI Aayog describes him as the longest-serving Cabinet Secretary[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba). In this role he played what NITI Aayog calls a crucial role in managing India's COVID-19 pandemic response, and steered initiatives on enhancing Ease of Doing Business, reduction of compliance burden, and decriminalization of minor offenses[3](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba). In July 2020 he chaired a NITI Aayog virtual workshop with 47 central ministries and departments on monitoring 29 selected global indices to drive reforms[10](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1637834&lang=2®=48).
He demitted office on 30 August 2024 and was succeeded by Dr. T.V. Somanathan[2](https://cabsec.gov.in/aboutus/cabinetsecretaries/?pagename=cabinetsecretaries&parentpagename=aboutus) • [11](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/dr-t-v-somanathan-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/).
## NITI Aayog member
By a Cabinet appointment of March 2025, Gauba was appointed Full-Time Member of NITI Aayog, the government's policy institution, with effect from 26 March 2025 and until further orders[1](https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-05/Appointment%20Notification%20Sh.%20Rajiv%20%20Gauba%2C%20IAS%20%2C%20Member.pdf). In this capacity he has publicly advocated light-touch, risk-proportionate regulation, arguing that policymakers should develop rules that manage risks while supporting innovation, competition, and investment[12](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2318770&lang=2®=48). At the Global Fintech Fest 2026 he called deregulation the defining feature of India's next-generation reforms, focusing on doing away with the license-approval-permission and frequent renewals regime[13](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2308600&lang=1®=3).
## References
1. [Appointment Notification of Shri Rajiv Gauba, IAS, Member, NITI Aayog (Gazette of India, 26 March 2025)](https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-05/Appointment%20Notification%20Sh.%20Rajiv%20%20Gauba%2C%20IAS%20%2C%20Member.pdf)
2. [Cabinet Secretaries, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India](https://cabsec.gov.in/aboutus/cabinetsecretaries/?pagename=cabinetsecretaries&parentpagename=aboutus)
3. [Shri Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog](https://www.niti.gov.in/about-us/whos-who/leadership/members/shri-rajiv-gauba)
4. [Shri Rajiv Gauba takes over as Secretary (Urban Development), Press Information Bureau, 1 April 2016](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?lang=2®=48&relid=138472)
5. [Shri Rajiv Gauba Takes Over as the New Cabinet Secretary, Prime Minister of India](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/shri-rajiv-gauba-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/)
6. [ICRIER Annual Report 2015-2016](https://icrier.org/pdf/AnnualReport2015-16.pdf)
7. [Press Council of India Review, April 2018](https://presscouncil.nic.in/Pdf/PCIREVIEWAPRIL2018.pdf)
8. [Functions, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India](https://cabsec.gov.in/aboutus/functions/)
9. [Rajiv Gauba Biography, StarsUnfolded (quoting ACC extension order)](https://starsunfolded.com/rajiv-gauba/)
10. [NITI Aayog organizes a virtual workshop to monitor performance of 29 select Global Indices, PIB, 10 July 2020](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1637834&lang=2®=48)
11. [Dr. T.V. Somanathan takes over as the new Cabinet Secretary, Prime Minister of India](https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/dr-t-v-somanathan-takes-over-as-the-new-cabinet-secretary/)
12. [Shri Rajiv Gauba calls for a shift to Light-Touch, Risk-Proportionate regulation at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave, PIB, 3 October 2026](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2318770&lang=2®=48)
13. [Shri Rajiv Gauba Calls for Deregulation as the Defining Feature of India's Next-Generation Reforms at Global Fintech Fest 2026, PIB, 10 September 2026](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2308600&lang=1®=3)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Civil service, government agencies, and public administration › Indian government and civil service*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license