New Delhi, Feb. 8: Anil Baijal has taken over as the Union home secretary, boosting hopes of bureaucrats of better things to come.

Signalling the Centre’s new preference for efficiency over seniority, Baijal has become one of the country’s youngest home secretaries by being selected over three seniors.

There is a debate in the bureaucracy over whether the government should shed its preference for seniority while choosing officials to top slots.

Baijal, a 1969 batch IAS officer of the Union territory cadre with a reputation for being brilliant, takes over from . Gopalaswami, who is moving to the Election Commission.

He was, till recently, the Delhi Development Authority vice-chairman. He was earlier the Indian Airlines chairman and managing director, the Prasar Bharati chief executive officer and an additional secretary in the information and broadcasting ministry.