Gyanesh Kumar Named 26th CEC of India, succeeding Rajiv Kumar

Gyanesh Kumar Named 26th CEC (Chief Election commissioner) of India, succeeding the outgoing Rajiv Kumar

New Delhi, February 17, 2025: Gyanesh Kumar has been named as the new Chief Election Commissioner of India, the Union Law Ministry announced on Monday. He will replace Rajiv Kumar, whose last day in office is Tuesday after he turns 65. Dr. Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Haryana Cadre IAS officer appointed as the Election Commissioner with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.

Dr. Vivek Joshi, IAS (HY:1989) appointed as the Election Commissioner in #ECI with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. pic.twitter.com/kKbnZ8s9wO
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) February 17, 2025

Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

Gyanesh Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre. He has been working as an Election Commissioner since March 15, 2024. His name was finalised and recommended to the President by the selection committee, which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Kumar is the first Chief Election Commissioner to be appointed under the new law. This law replaced the Chief Justice with the Home Minister in the selection panel for choosing the poll body chief.

Gyanesh Kumar’s Background

Gyanesh Kumar holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur. He has also studied Business Finance at ICFAI, India, and Environmental Economics at Harvard University, USA. He has worked in several important positions in the Kerala government, including:

Assistant Collector of Ernakulam
Sub-Collector of Adoor
MD of Kerala State Development Corporation for SC/ST
Municipal Commissioner of Cochin
District Collector of Ernakulam
MD of Kerala State Cooperative Bank
Secretary in multiple departments of Kerala government

In the central government, he has served as:

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence
Joint Secretary & Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs
Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation

Last Day of CEC Rajiv Kumar in Office

Rajiv Kumar, who has been Chief Election Commissioner since May 15, 2022, will step down on February 18, 2025. His tenure saw several key elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, state elections in 31 states/UTs, and the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections in 2022.

During his farewell, Rajiv Kumar thanked the 15 million polling officials for their hard work in ensuring free and fair elections. He highlighted India’s strong democratic values and praised the increasing participation of women voters. He also stressed the need to use technology carefully while protecting elections from cyber threats and misinformation.

Conclusion

With Gyanesh Kumar taking charge, the Election Commission of India will continue to play a key role in ensuring free and fair elections. His experience in governance and election management will be crucial as India prepares for upcoming elections.