Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has removed the requirement of obtaining the Governor’s prior approval for the appointment of the Chief Secretary and the Head of Police Force (HoPF)/Director General of Police (DGP).
The change has been made through a new Standing Order issued by the Human Resources Management Department on July 29, 2026.
The order replaces all Standing Orders issued between 2022 and 2025, including one issued in January this year.
With the new order, the government can appoint the Chief Secretary and the DGP without first seeking the Governor’s approval. The Standing Order also gives the Chief Minister a bigger role in senior administrative decisions.
Approval of the Chief Minister will now be required for the appointment, transfer and disciplinary proceedings of senior officers, including IAS, IPS and IFS officers, Secretaries to Government, Heads of Departments and other senior officials.
The Chief Minister’s approval will also be required for specified financial sanctions, major land acquisition proposals and cases involving differences between the Finance Department and administrative departments.
The order was issued by Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar.
The earlier procedure was laid down under the Tamil Nadu Government Business Rules, 1978. The new Standing Order changes that arrangement by taking the Governor out of the process of appointing the state’s Chief Secretary and DGP.
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