Who is Gyanesh Kumar , the new Chief Election Commissioner ?

Gyanesh Kumar, the recently named Chief Election Commissioner, was instrumental following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 and the division of Jammu & Kashmir into the two Union territories of Ladakh and J&K, serving as an additional secretary in the home affairs ministry from 2018 to 2021. The Narendra Modi government also assigned Gyanesh Kumar the task of drafting the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill was among the most confidential Bills ever introduced by a government.  Gyanesh Kumar was likewise engaged in establishing the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

On Monday, Gyanesh Kumar, who assumed the role of election commissioner on March 15, 2024, was named the next CEC, just hours after the Congress requested the government to postpone its decision until the Supreme Court finishes its hearing on a petition questioning the formation of the selection panel.

Kumar is the inaugural Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) appointed under a new statute regarding the selection of Election Commission (EC) members. His tenure will extend until January 26, 2029, shortly before the EC is anticipated to reveal the timetable for the subsequent Lok Sabha election.

The Congress’s request was presented by Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during a meeting of the selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, news agency reported, referencing sources. The gathering took place in the South Block office of the prime minister. In addition to PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi, Union home minister Amit Shah is the third participant in the selection panel.

Gyanesh Kumar is an IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, belonging to the 1988 batch. Upon finishing his B Tech in civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, he pursued studies in business finance at ICFAI, India, and Environmental Economics at HIID, Harvard University, USA.

Gyanesh Kumar has served in the Kerala government as the assistant collector for Ernakulam, sub-collector of Adoor, managing director of the Kerala state development corporation for SC/ST, and municipal commissioner of the Cochin Corporation, among other roles. In his role as a secretary for the government of Kerala, Kumar managed various departments, including financial resources, expedited projects, and the public works department.

In the Indian government, Gyanesh Kumar possesses extensive experience serving as the joint secretary in the defence ministry, joint secretary and additional secretary in the home affairs ministry, secretary in the Parliamentary affairs ministry, and secretary in the cooperation ministry. He retired on January 31, 2024.