The Chief Secretary of Nagaland is the highest-ranking civil servant in the state and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the government. The Chief Secretary is the Head of all the State Government Departments and the Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister.

The Office of the Chief Secretary is the most important office in the state bureaucracy and plays a vital role in the administration of the State to ensure that the government's policies and programs are implemented effectively. It is responsible for a wide range of functions, including::

1. Advising and assisting the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers on all matters of government policy and administration.
2. Coordinating the work of all Departments and Agencies of the Government.
3. Ensuring the implementation of all the Government Policies and Programs.
4. Monitoring the performance of all Departments and Agencies of the Government.

The Chief Secretary is normally assisted by senior government officers including the Additional Chief Secretary & Finance Commissioner, Home Commissioner, Development Commissioner, Principal Secretaries, Commissioner & Secretaries, Secretaries and others.

The Chief Secretary is also the ex-officio Secretary to the State Cabinet. As per the Nagaland Rules of Executive Business, 2020, all papers relating to any matter that may have to be submitted to the Cabinet or to the Chief Minister, is to be submitted through the Chief Secretary who will then forward the same with his comments, if any. The Chief Secretary also may, on the orders of the Chief Minister or of any Minister or of his own motion, ask to see papers relating to any case in any Department and any such request by him is to be complied with by the Secretary of the Department concerned.

The Office of the Chief Secretary is located in Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima-797001, Nagaland.

The Chief Secretary’s Office has two important Cells/Branches - CSO Branch and the Cabinet Cell.

1. CSO Branch

   The CSO Branch deals with the following subject matters: -

   1. Important matters addressed directly to the Chief Secretary.
   2. Files received from various Departments.
   3. Supervision and coordination of the functioning of all Departments.
   
   

   There is a Program Management Unit (PMU) setup within the office of the Chief Secretary from July 2022. They perform secretarial works and other assignments including those as listed below:-

   1. Coordination with various Departments or Nodal Officers of the State or Central Government.
   2. Tracking of progress of the various projects/schemes/works in coordination with the implementing department or agencies.
   3. Assist in monitoring of all the important projects/schemes/works being executed or implemented in the State including those funded from external sources.
   4. Create a robust IT environment for more efficient management of information and sharing of data.
   5. To undertake research on identified key areas.
   6. To maintain a database of all related information in an organized manner.
   7. Any other work as assigned by the competent authority from time to time.


2. Cabinet Cell

   The Cabinet Cell deals mainly with the following subject matters: -

   1. Appointment, removal and resignation of Ministers and Advisors.
   2. Allocation of business among the Ministers.
   3. Distribution of business of the Government among Departments of the Secretariat.
   4. Confidential/Top Secret, policy matters requiring Cabinet decisions.
   5. Arrangement for meeting of the Cabinet/ Council of Ministers/ Cabinet Sub-Committees.
   6. Recording and follow-up action on the Cabinet decisions.
   7. Issue of standing orders of the Chief Minister/Ministers.
   8. Scrutiny of Cabinet Memorandum.