The chief secretary of Tamil Nadu is the highest ranking officer in the Government of Tamil Nadu, who serves as the head of the state administration, and the secretariat. The chief secretary is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer, and is appointed by the Governor of Tamil Nadu on the recommendation of the chief minister. The secretary also acts as the ex-officio secretary to the council of ministers. The functions include administration and managing of the secretariat, providing secretarial assistance to the cabinet, coordination and implementation of policies and decisions of the government, providing requisite data and information to the cabinet, and organising cabinet meetings amongst others. The chief secretary ranks 23rd on the Indian order of precedence.