Om Prakash Rawat, a former Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the new Election Commissioner of India. The Law Ministry states that his appointment will come into effect from the day he assumes office. With Rawat’s appointment, the sole vacancy in the three-member poll body has been filled. He will have tenure of more than three years which ends on December 2018.
An Election Commissioner or a Chief Election Commissioner has a tenure of six years in office or till he or she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
- Rawat did his MSc in Social Development Planning in 1989 in the United Kingdom.
- In 1993, he had served as a Director in the Defence Ministry.
- He served as Principal Secretary to the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh – Babu Lal Gaur from 2004 and 2006.
- He served as Secretary at Department of Public Enterprises in the Ministry of Heavy Industries from 2012 till December 2014 when he retired.
- He was an awardee of state government’s ‘recognition of forest rights’ in 2009.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the two Election Commissioners (ECs) are appointed by the President of India (Article 324 of Constitution). The current CEC is Nazim Zaidi and the other EC is AK Joti.
Test Your Knowledge
Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India?
Nazim Zaidi is _____th Chief Election Commissioner of India?
