Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar appointed Election Commissioner in place of Ashok Lavasa

Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar was on Friday appointed as Election Commissioner in place of Ashok Lavasa who resigned. President Ram Nath Kovind cleared his appointment with effect from the date he assumes office.

Kumar's appointment is in place of Lavasa who resigned with effect from August 31. Rajiv Kumar is a retired IAS officer of 1984 batch of Jharkhand cadre.

"In pursuance of clause (2) of Article 324 of the Constitution, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Rajiv Kumar, (IAS retired) as the election commissioner with effect from the date he assumes the office vice Shri Ashok Lavasa, election commissioner who has resigned with effect August 31," official notification of the Ministry of Law and Justice said.

Kumar has widespread administrative experience in more than 30 years of service during which he held various important assignments including the Administrative postings in his home state of Jharkhand. Kumar has also worked in the Central Government in various capacities.

He was posted as Joint Secretary and then Additional Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance from March 19, 2012, to March 12, 2015. Later he took over as Establishment Officer & Additional/Special Secretary, Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances & Pension, D/o Personnel & Training from March 12, 2015, till August 30, 2017. 

Ashok Lavasa, who was next in line to head the poll panel, resigned on August 18 (Tuesday). He will join the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) as vice-president in September. Lavasa, who would have retired as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in October 2022, would be the second election commissioner to step down from the poll panel before the completion of his term.

The last time an election commission put in his papers was in 1973 when CEC Nagendra Singh was appointed a judge in the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

Lavasa, a career bureaucrat, joined as Election Commissioner on January 23, 2018, and being senior most on the poll panel would have become CEC in April 2021 after the term of incumbent Sunil Arora ends.

An MBA degree from Southern Cross University in Australia, and MPhil in Defense and Strategic Studies degree from the University of Madras, Lavasa, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre, retired as Finance Secretary.

As per the provisions of the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991, an EC or the CEC can tender his or her resignation addressed to the President.

Lavasa led the Indian delegation in the climate change negotiations for the Paris Agreement and was instrumental in finalizing India's nationally determined contributions, which included a major role of the private sector.