Lok Sabha elections, the high-level committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed former bureaucrat Gyanesh Kumar as one of the new Election Commissioners. The announcement was made by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, during a media briefing on March 14.
The selection of Gyanesh Kumar, along with Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, fills the vacancies created in the Election Commission following the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the unexpected resignation of Arun Goel shortly before the scheduled Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
Gyanesh Kumar, a seasoned bureaucrat, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. A 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Kumar, aged 60, boasts an impressive track record in various administrative positions. Notably, he served as secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, which falls under the purview of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, until his retirement on January 31, 2024. Prior to this, Kumar held the position of secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
During his illustrious career, Kumar has overseen several significant postings, including a crucial stint as Joint Secretary in the Kashmir Division of the Home Ministry under the leadership of Amit Shah. Notably, he played a pivotal role during the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Additionally, in 2020, Kumar led a dedicated desk in the Home Ministry responsible for matters related to the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya case, including the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where he obtained a BTech in Civil Engineering, Kumar furthered his academic pursuits with a postgraduate degree in Economics from Harvard University, USA. He also holds a certification in Chartered Financial Analyst from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI).
Born on January 27, 1964, in Uttar Pradesh, Kumar hails from a distinguished family background. His father was a doctor, while his grandfather was a freedom fighter who later served as a principal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
With his extensive administrative experience and academic credentials, Gyanesh Kumar is poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, upholding the integrity and transparency of India’s electoral process.