Former Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi has authored a book "Challenges of Governance: An Insider's View", published by Rupa. The book is full of interesting stories and recounts his journey from a small town called Karwi in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, to his days as Cabinet Secretary, a post offered to him by Dr. Manmohan Singh, and thereafter as a member of the Planning Commission.

The book reveals that the power of the Cabinet Secretary, which used to be unlimited, was curtailed following the institution of the National Security Adviser (NSA). He points out that until the early 1990s, the Cabinet Secretariat coordinated the intelligence obtained from the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing and the defense forces. But once the NSA office was created in 1998, and it was made the part of the PMO, the office of the Cabinet Secretary lost some of its leverages.

The author feels that the NSA office needs to be strengthened with a deputy so that the issue missed by the NSA is taken care of. 

He points out that currently the power of the Cabinet secretary entirely depends on his equation with the PM since there exists a powerful PMO as well as the NSA office.

The book also deals in details with several decision-making mechanisms within the government and their utility or otherwise.