Former Gujarat chief secretary Achal Kumar Jyoti has been appointed as Election Commissioner. Mr Jyoti is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1975 batch, who had served as the Chief Secretary of Gujarat during the tenure Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister. His appointment has filled one of the two vacancies in the three membered constitutional body. Jyoti will have a tenure of three years and he will retire at the age of 65.

Mr Jyoti also served as a Chairman of the Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004 and Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL).

The government has announced that it will fill the last vacancy by appointing one more Election Commissioner soon.

Tidbits

• Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi is the present Chief Election Commissioner of India.
• Originally the commission had only a single Chief Election Commissioner. The Election Commissioner Amendment Act, 1993 made the Election Commission a multi-member body.
• The CEC can be removed only by Parliament with 2/3 rd majority in both houses on the grounds of proven misbehavior or incapacity.
• The other Election Commissioners can be removed by the President on the recommendation of the CEC.

GK Questions

• Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India? Sukumar Sen
• Which authority conducts elections to Corporations, Municipalities and other Local Bodies? State Election Commission
• Who supervises the election work in a State? Chief Electoral Officer.