Gauba’s predecessor, Pradeep Kumar Sinha, served four years and 79 days, while the second Cabinet Secretary of independent India, YN Sukthankar, was in the post for 4-years-and-78 days.

Normally, a Cabinet Secretary can be given an extension beyond the fixed two-year tenure for another two years. But during Sinha’s tenure, the rule was amended to extend it beyond four years, and he was given an extension of another three months.

Last year while giving a third extension to Gauba, the government further relaxed the rules. In a statement, the government had then said, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service to Rajiv Gauba, lAS (JH:82) as Cabinet Secretary for a further period of one year beyond 30.08.2023, in relaxation of AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958 and Rule 56(d) of the Fundamental Rules.”

Gauba is credited as the key architect of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, under which the erstwhile State was divided into two Union Territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh- following the abrogation of the special status given to it under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Born in Punjab, Gauba graduated in Physics from Patna University. He had served in Jharkhand as Chief Secretary for 15 months before returning to serve the Central government in 2016 as Secretary of urban development, before being made Home Secretary. After his stint at North Block, he was promoted to be the Cabinet Secretary.

The buzz in the corridors of power is that there are at least three senior IAS officers in the race for the top bureaucratic position, after Gauba retires.

Sources in the government said, three officers of the 1987-batch - Finance Secretary TV Somanathan (Tamil Nadu Cadre), Gujarat Chief Secretary Raj Kumar, and Jal Shakti Secretary Vini Mahajan (Punjab Cadre) – are in contention. Besides these names, 1989-batch IAS officer and MEITY Secretary S Krishnan (Tamil Nadu Cadre) has of late also entered into contention and may prove to be a dark horse.

It is learnt that Finance Secretary Somanathan is leading the pack. The officer has been the Expenditure Secretary since December 2019. By virtue of his seniority, the 1987-batch Tamil Nadu cadre officer also doubles up as the country’s Finance Secretary.

A close confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he has worked in the PMO as a Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary. His financial skills are so well respected that the chief of the World Bank, where he had a long stint, requested then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to extend the bureaucrat’s lien to the organisation beyond the stipulated time and the then government had agreed to the request.

Somanthan is also known for his impeccable integrity and had a bitter tussle with then-Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa early in his career. He had ordered a vigilance inquiry on a subject handled by her, and the chief minister was so incensed that she refused to even relieve him from the state for a central deputation.

Another contender for the top post, Raj Kumar, is also known for his proximity with the Prime Minister and his Principal Secretary PK Mishra. Kumar came on central deputation in 2015, months after PM Modi took charge at the Centre.

Kumar’s last posting in the central government had been highly challenging and sensitive, as he was Secretary, Defence Production. He returned to his parent cadre Gujarat in 2021 after an outstanding stint at the Centre. After his return, the Gujarat government gave him charge of the sensitive Home Department.

In January last year, Kumar was elevated to the post of Chief Secretary of Gujarat and he has a reputation of being a no-nonsense bureaucrat. He hails from Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district.

The third officer of the 1987 batch in the race, is Vini Mahajan and if a decision is taken to appoint her, it would create history as she would be then the first woman cabinet secretary of India since the post was created.

Mahajan, who is currently Secretary-Drinking Water & Sanitation, was earlier the chief secretary of the border state of Punjab. The officer, considered close to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, was removed after a midnight coup by the state Congress leadership against its own government.

Mahajan, a second-generation bureaucrat, is the daughter of a former chief secretary of Punjab BB Mahajan. A dedicated, honest bureaucrat, she is known for her rational thinking and methodical planning.

Amongst the three of the 1987-batch, Mahajan is the only one, who has an extensive experience in the workings of the Prime Minister's Office, as she had a long tenure in Dr Manmohan Singh’s PMO.

MEITY Secretary S Krishnan, a 1989-batch Tamil Nadu cadre officer, may turn out to be a dark horse, according to sources. The Delhi-educated officer has an impeccable career record.

Krishnan has, over the past 32 years, held various roles, including the Finance Secretary of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Board.