Difference between the Secretary and Joint Secretary is explained here in detail. This topic is important from the perspective of Indian Polity Syllabus. A department, is an organisational unit consisting of a secretary with a part of the central secretariat under his administrative control. If a ministry has more than one department, it may have more secretaries, but only one senior Secretary will represent the ministry. The difference between Secretary vs Joint Secretary given here can help the UPSC Civil Service exam aspirants to understand the basics better and know their comparisons thoroughly.
Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam.
Difference between Secretary and Joint Secretary – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
The Major Differences between Secretary and Joint Secretary are:
| Secretary | Joint Secretary |
| A Secretary to the Government of India is the administrative head of the Ministry or Department. | When the volume of work in a Ministry exceeds the manageable charge of a Secretary, one or more wings may be established with Joint Secretary/ |
| Secretary is responsible for the functioning of the whole Ministry | Joint Secretary is responsible for the functioning of a particular wing of a Ministry |
| In the Hierarchy of a Ministry in the Government of India, the position of Secretary is below Minister of State (MoS) and above Additional Secretary. | In the Hierarchy of a Ministry in the Government of India, the position of Joint Secretary is below Additional Secretary and above Directors and Deputy Secretaries. |
| In the Hierarchy of power in the Ministry of Government of India, Secretary occupies 3rd Position. | In the Hierarchy of power in the Ministry of Government of India, Joint Secretary occupies 5th Position. |
| The Secretary is the principal adviser to the minister on matters of policy and administration within his ministry/department. | The Joint Secretary is not the principal adviser to the minister on matters of policy and administration within his ministry/department. |
| Secretary level is called Top Level Management in a Ministry of the Government of India. | Joint Secretary level is called Middle Level Management in a Ministry of Government of India. |
| In a ministry there may be as many secretaries as the number of departments. The senior most secretary, coordinates the work of other secretaries. | A small ministry has at least one joint secretary, whereas a large ministry, may have three or more joint secretaries. |
These are the main differences between Secretary and Joint Secretary of a Ministry in the Government of India.The differences given in the above table can help the UPSC Civil Service Exam aspirants to answer any related questions easily in the exams.
After learning about the Secretary and Joint Secretary difference, it is better to know the details of Structure of the Department in the Government of India. Also learn the Differences between Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS), the table of precedence in the Republic of India, and the All India Services thoroughly. Visit the below-given links to learn about Structure of the Department in the Government of India, differences between Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS), the table of precedence in the Republic of India and the All India Services, in detail along with other information.
- Difference between Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS)
- The Structure of a Department – Government of India
- Table of Precedence – Republic of India
- All India Services – Complete List
- Difference between Articles – Complete List (History,Geography,Polity and More)
UPSC Civil Service Exam aspirants should diligently study the Indian Polity Notes, as it is an extremely important component of UPSC Civil Service Exam Syllabus.
Difference between Secretary and Joint Secretary – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
Frequently Asked Questions about Secretary and Joint Secretary
What are the powers of a Joint Secratary in India?
What are the positions held by the secretary of India?
The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2023.
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| IAS Salary | UPSC FAQ |
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