Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha's extension has shut the doors on many aspirants for the top post even as it has thrown up new possibilities for batches down the line. By the time Sinha completes his new extended tenure, the entire 1980 batch would have headed towards retirement. K D Tripathy (IAS:1980: UP), among them, would be the last one to leave the turf in June this year. Similarly, some of the 1981 batch officers, too, would attain superannuation in January and March next year. Prominent among them are Rajiv Nayan Choubey (IAS:1981: TN) and Rakesh Srivastava (IAS:1981: RJ). The brightest prospects for the top job of Cabinet Secretary will be for the 1982 batch in which Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba (IAS:1982: JH) and Ms. Aruna Sundararajan (IAS:1982: KL) would have the brightest prospects because the NaMo administration has already given them the most important assignments and thus made clear its likings for them. Gauba, by virtue of topping the merit list of the batch, will be best positioned to get the job. Of course, everything will depend on NaMo's fortunes in the next General Elections.