Who is Gyanesh Kumar? Meet India’s new CEC with crucial role in Jammu & Kashmir reforms

Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. He will replace Rajiv Kumar, who is set to retire on Tuesday after reaching the age of 65. This appointment makes Kumar the first CEC to be selected under the newly implemented law governing the appointment of election commissioners. Alongside Kumar’s appointment, Dr. Vivek Joshi, a 1989 batch IAS officer, has been named as election commissioner, effective upon assuming office.

Selection process led by PM Modi

The decision to appoint Gyanesh Kumar was finalized by a high-level selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The committee convened at the Prime Minister’s Office in South Block earlier in the evening. After thorough deliberation, Kumar’s name was chosen from a list of candidates shortlisted by a search committee.

Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

Gyanesh Kumar is a 1988 batch Kerala-cadre IAS officer with decades of experience in public administration and governance. He retired as Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation in January 2023. Prior to this, he served in the Union Home Ministry for five years, first as a Joint Secretary (2016-2018) and later as an Additional Secretary (2018-2021). Kumar played a significant role in the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir in August 2019. He was closely involved in the process and regularly accompanied Amit Shah to Parliament when the bill was introduced. In March 2023, he was appointed as Election Commissioner, before now being elevated to CEC. Academic Background Gyanesh Kumar holds a B-Tech degree in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Engineering, Kanpur. He has also pursued Business Finance at the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India.