Rajiv Gauba

Gauba was appointed the Chief Secretary of the Government of Jharkhand by the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on 20 January 2015.[8][9]

As one of the youngest Chief Secretaries, Gauba set about on an ambitious agenda which involved changing the way the governance system worked. The Government of Jharkhand saw a major downsizing, bringing down the number of departments. Jharkhand was a state of immense potential but had belied hopes. Gauba spearheaded a number of initiatives, the most notable among them being tackling this problem through a combination of proactive policing, and developmental outreach. Young officers were posted as DMs and SPs and improve the reach of police & Government administration. CAPF and State Police camps were established in remote areas and Roads & Bridges were built to promote development. These culminated in significant shrinking of the area under LWE influence.

As an industrial state Jharkhand offered immense potential. To realize this, Ease of Doing Business reforms were carried out in true earnest and in World Bank’s Ease of Bizassessment, Jharkhand leapfrogged to the third position from almost the bottom of the list in 2016. This was done by removing archaic legislations like Agricultural Market Cess and Boiler Room Inspections among others, and by introducing positive changes by way of Labor Reforms. Initial reforms in Jharkhand were viewed with skepticism yet the ethos of governance changed from a negative obstructionist approach and to a positive enabling environment.

Gauba left the state when he was appointed as a Secretary in the Government of India.

Gauba (centre-right), as the Urban Development Secretary, with the Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu (centre-left) and the French Minister of Transport, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (minister of state-rank), Alain Vidalies (left)

Gauba was appointed as the Union Urban Development Secretary by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 1 April 2016.[7][10][11]

Gauba drove interventions aimed at addressing the huge infrastructure deficit in Indian cities/urban areas with focus on water supply, sewerage network and green spaces. As Urban Development Secretary, he helped conceptualize and implement a series of major initiatives for urban transformation such as the Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission and AMRUT Mission.

Gauba also led key initiatives of the Ministry, such as the preparation of the report of The High-Powered Committee On Decongesting Traffic In Delhi – which studied New Delhi’s traffic scenario in-depth and provided a four-pronged strategy for resolution – and it was under his tenure that the Ministry prepared the critical National Policy on Fecal Sludge and Septage Management.

One of the major projects under Gauba was the massive redevelopment project of seven general pool residential accommodations in India’s capital city New Delhi which sought to renew then 12,970 existing homes with 25,667 dwelling units, at an estimated project cost of INR 32,835 crores (operation costs for 30 years).

Gauba with the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs of Myanmar, Aung Thu in October 2018

Gauba was appointed as the Union Home Secretary by the ACC on 22 June 2017,[12][13][14][15] succeeding Rajiv Mehrishi. He served as an officer on special duty in the rank of secretary, till Mehrishi's retirement,[12][13][14][15] he formally took charge on 31 August 2017.[16][17][18][19][20]

During Gauba’s tenure, the Government of India undertook historic step of abrogation of the Article 370 and reorganization of J&K State. Gauba closely monitored and managed the on-ground situation. One of the major actions to ensure these changes were implemented was the banning of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, which has been at the forefront of separatist activities and violence since 1988. Gauba’s greatest success was the peaceful abolition of Art 370 and his management of the on-ground situation in Kashmir.

Gauba as Union Home Secretary ensured effective implementation of the LWE strategy that he had conceptualized earlier. The renewed focus on mitigating and then combating the LWE menace across the country. Gauba is credited for significantly rationalizing the weapons and equipment procurement process for Central Armed Police Forces (CPRF, BSF), removing bulging procedural layers and empowering Commandant level officers with financial powers.

Gauba was appointed as Cabinet Secretary in August 2019.[5] He handed over charge of Home Secretary to Ajay Kumar Bhalla (IAS) on 22 August 2019.[21]

Rajiv Gauba took over as Cabinet Secretary from Pradeep Kumar Sinha on 30 August 2019.[3]

As Cabinet Secretary, Gauba has played a key role in India’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Amongst the important initiatives was the setting up of various task forces which mobilized the entire government machinery to ensure into a coherent and comprehensive response.

Gauba has been one of the leading players behind the Government of India’s Campaign to ensure ease of living for its citizens. He has been the driving force behind some of the most landmark reforms in India like Ease of Doing Business, Reduction of Compliance Burden and Decriminalization of minor offences.