Meet Sukhbir Singh Sandhu: India's new Election Commissioner

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel has appointed retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new election commissioners. The confirmation came from committee member and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday. This decision follows the recent resignation of Arun Goel and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey, creating vacancies ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls.

According to media reports, the PM Modi-led panel chose Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar from a list of 92 retired officers who served as Secretary or Secretary equivalent in the Government of India, among other criteria.

Who is Sukhbir Singh Sandhu?

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttarakhand cadre, hails from Punjab. Born in 1963, Sandhu joined the IAS in 1998 and later served as the chief secretary of Uttarakhand, notably during Pushkar Singh Dhami's tenure as chief minister in 2021.

Sandhu's previous stint 

Previously, Sandhu held significant positions such as chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and additional secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Educationally, Sandhu holds an MBBS degree from Government Medical College, Amritsar, and a Master's Degree in History from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He is also a law graduate and has contributed papers on 'Urban Reforms' and 'Municipal Management and Capacity Building'.

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu holds special recognition 

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu's dedication to public service has been recognized with several awards, including the President's Medal for his services as Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation in Ludhiana, Punjab, and the 2001 President of India Medal for his contributions during the Census of India.