The President of India Friday appointed former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar as the new Election Commissioner in a three-member Election Commission of India (ECI). Kumar is presently holding the office of chairperson Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB).
Kumar, a 1984-batch retired IAS officer from Jharkhand cadre will assume the office in place of Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa who has resigned from the office w.e.f. August 31 to join the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) as vice-president next month.
With the appointment of Kumar as the new Election Commissioner, the ECI will now consist of Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar.
Kumar served as the Finance Secretary from September 1, 2017, to February 29, 2020.
Under the Constitution of India, the President has been given the power to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners in terms of Article 324 of the Constitution.
ECI is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
Photo Courtesy: The Hindu