Page 4 - Election Commissioners

Selective decisions

Parliament the best arbiter of EC appointment

SC says EC Goel's file cleared in 'haste'; AG asks court to hold its mouth

The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the process adopted for appointing Arun Goel as an Election Commissioner (EC), and said his file got clearances in "haste" and with "tearing hurry". As the apex court observed that the file pertaining to Goel's appointment was cleared with "lightning speed", the Centre through Attorney General R Venkataramani asked the court to "hold its mouth" and requested it to look into the matter in its entirety. "What kind of evaluation is this? Although, we are not questioning the merits of Arun Goel's credentials but the process," a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph said. The top-most law officer told the bench, which was making a volley a comments on the issue, "Please hold your mouth for a while. I request to look into the issue in entirety". It perused the original file of Goel's appointment as an EC, which was placed before the bench by the Centre in pursuance of Wednesday's direction given by the top court. The bench sa

Ex-bureaucrat Arun Goel takes charge as new Election Commissioner of India

Welcoming Goel to Election Commission, Rajiv Kumar said his administrative experience will further strengthen the Commission's endeavours in making the electoral process more inclusive, participative

Retired IAS officer Arun Goel takes charge as election commissioner

Former bureaucrat Arun Goel on Monday assumed charge of his new responsibility as an Election Commissioner. The poll panel said Goel assumed charge this morning. A 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, Goel took voluntary retirement on November 18. He was on Saturday appointed as an Election Commissioner. He was to retire on December 31, 2022 after completing 60 years of age. He has joined Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey on the poll panel. There was a vacancy in the EC following the retirement of Sushil Chandra as CEC in May this year. Goel was, till recently, the heavy industries secretary. He has also served in the Union Culture ministry. His appointment comes days before Gujarat goes to two-phase polls on December one and five. The poll panel will have its full strength when it decides the election schedule for Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Karnataka in the coming months.

Former bureaucrat Arun Goel appointed as Election Commissioner

Former bureaucrat Arun Goel was on Saturday appointed as Election Commissioner. A Punjab cadre officer of the 1985 batch, Girl will join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in the poll panel. His appointment was announced by the government in a press statement. Sushil Chandra had retired as the chief election commissioner in May this year after which Rajiv Kumar took charge.

CEC Rajiv Kumar invited as international observer for Nepal polls

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has been invited by the Election Commission of Nepal as an international observer for the forthcoming elections there. Elections are scheduled in Nepal on November 20 to elect 275 members of the Federal Parliament and 550 seats of the seven Provincial Assemblies. Kumar will be leading a delegation of ECI officials as state guest in Nepal from November 18 to 22, the poll panel said on Thursday. Kumar would be visiting polling stations in Kathmandu and nearby areas. The EC also has a similar international election visitors programme where members from other poll management bodies are invited to experience first hand India's Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

LIVE: 2 injured in clash between student groups in JNU: Delhi Police

Catch all the latest updates from across the world here

India has 249,000 voters aged above 100: Chief Election Commissioner

There are 2.49 lakh voters aged above 100 in India, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday. Besides, 1.80 crore voters are over 80 years of age, Kumar said after flagging off a bicycle rally in Maharashtra's Pune city on Wednesday to create an awareness about voter registration as part of the national level launch of a special summary revision of the voters' list. The Election Commission of India's initiative is aimed at increasing the electoral rolls in urban areas. Explaining the robustness and beauty of the Indian electoral rolls, Kumar said the country has voters from the highest peaks of Himalayas, from the 6,000-km coastline in south, deserts in the west and regions from the east. "You will be happy to know we have close to 2.49 lakh voters in our rolls who are (aged) 100 plus and what a relief and ecstasy it gives when you interact with them and find that they have been voting all through their lives," he said. Besides, there are 1.80 crore voters who ar

CEC Kumar, EC Pandey give up perks, privileges as part of austerity measure

Seeking to set an example in austerity, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey on Friday decided to give up perks and privileges.

Save the Election Commission: Common electoral roll can wait

No political party has done anything about institutionalising the selection process of ECs, perhaps because each of them is seduced by the prospect of capturing the ECI when they come to power

ECI gets North Indian thrust with Anup Chandra Pandey's appointment

In terms of conducting elections, Pandey's task will not be very onerous. The UP Assembly elections will be the most challenging event

Sushil Chandra assumes charge as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner

Chandra was appointed as the CEC on Monday, the day Sunil Arora demitted office.

Rajiv Kumar's record is of getting things done

He worked under Arun Jaitley, Piyush Goyal as well as Nirmala Sitharaman in the finance ministry, where he took charge as finance secretary in July 2019

Former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar appointed Election Commissioner

Rajiv Kumar is a retired IAS officer of 1984 batch of Jharkhand cadre

Ashok Lavasa quits as Election Commissioner; to join ADB as vice president

Ashok Lavasa was next in line to head the Election Commission

Remote voting should inspire trust, assure integrity of the process: EC

Chandra underlined the importance of ensuring greater "inclusiveness in elections" while noting that a large number of voters are unable to exercise their franchise due to geographical barriers

Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa appointed vice-president of ADB

When contacted, Lavasa said: "I have no information regarding this. The decision will be taken by the bank."

ADB appoints Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa as new vice-president

He has extensive experience in public-private partnerships and infrastructure development at the state and federal levels, with deep knowledge on public policy and the role of private sector, it said.

'Visit EC website for info': Delhi CEO cautions people against cyber fraud

Two incidents of cyber fraud were reported in the last month

EC Lavasa's son, a firm linked to him are under ED lens for Fema violations

They said the agency has filed a case under the FEMA to probe Abir Lavasa and about Rs 7.25 crore funds raised early this year by a firm -- Nourish Organic Foods Pvt Ltd -- linked to him