Gyanesh Kumar is the new Chief Election Commissioner: Who is he? Know about his career, education here

Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner on Monday, February 17. The announcement came soon after the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommended his name as the next chief election commissioner to President Droupadi Murmu.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi were also part of the selection committee which met on Monday.

Rajiv Kumar, who was the Chief Election Commissioner before Gyanesh Kumar, was supposed to retire on February 18. He will demit the office on Tuesday on attaining the age of 65 years.

After Rajiv Kumar, Gyanesh Kumar is the senior-most election commissioner. His tenure is till January 26, 2029.

Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

Gyanesh Kumar took charge as the Election Commissioner on March, 15 2024. He was the Election Commission in Rajiv Kumar-led panel since March 2024.

Kumar is a 1988 Batch Kerala Cadre Officer of the Indian Administrative Service, according to the Election Commission's website.

He completed his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from llT Kanpur. Later, he studied Business Finance from lCFAl, lndia and Environmental Economics from HllD, Harvard University, USA.

Kumar has worked in the Kerala government as Assistant Collector of Ernakulam; Sub Collector of Adoor; MD of Kerala State Development Corporation for SC/ST; Municipal Commissioner of Corporation of Cochin; MD of Kerala State Cooperative Bank; Director of lndustries and Commerce; District Collector of Ernakulam; Secretary of Goshree lslands Development Authority; MD of Trivandrum Airport Development Society; Project Director of Kerala State Transport Project and Resident Commissioner of Kerala House in New Delhi.

As Secretary to the Kerala government, he handled diverse departments such as Finance Resources; Fast Track Projects; Public Works Department; Modernising Government Program; and Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs.

In the central government, he has "rich experience" of working as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence; Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs; Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation. 

He retired as secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, which comes under Amit Shah, on January 31, 2024. Before