CEC Gyanesh Kumar faces calls for removal over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions. Delhi has witnessed a series of protests in recent weeks, with Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joining the opposition’s campaign against the exercise. Separately, on Monday, INDIA bloc leaders marched towards the Supreme Court and filed a petition seeking his removal. Quick answers to key questions•5 QUESTIONSGyanesh Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre. He earned a BTech in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur and completed postgraduate studies in Environmental Economics at Harvard University. He held senior roles in central ministries, including Joint Secretary in Defence and Additional Secretary in Home Affairs, and served as secretary in the Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation ministries. Opposition leaders cite alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The petition sought an independent, time-bound audit of voter deletions and database changes, disclosure of Election Commission records, and suspension of the SIR while the case is considered. Calls for Kumar’s resignation grew after an Indian Express investigation late last month highlighted an internal rift within the poll panel. The report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised at least 14 written objections over 10 months to decisions concerning electoral rolls and the Commission’s functioning. Born on 27 January 1964 in Uttar Pradesh, Kumar is an engineering graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where he completed his BTech in Civil Engineering. He is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, with varied experience working in both central and state governments. During his tenure in the Kerala government, Kumar headed various departments, including Finance Resources; Public Works; and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. In 2020, Kumar served as an additional secretary in the Union Home Ministry, leading a dedicated desk responsible for matters arising from the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict. The Supreme Court’s ruling on 9 November 2019 directed the creation of a trust to oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Kumar was then heading the ministry’s Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh affairs division. About the AuthorSwati GandhiSwati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership. Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends. At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business. Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.
C. Mahadevappa speaking at a meeting in Mysuru on Monday. A conference on Constitution and democracy will be held at Maharaja’s College in Mysuru on November 26 and 27. C. Y. Quraishi will inaugurate the event on November 26. The conference is being organised jointly by the Dalit Organisations’ Unity Committee, Constitution Protection Committees, the Constitution Jana Andolana Committee, and the Dr. R. Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre of the University of Mysore, and will feature debates on various issues related to the constitution and democracy.
Discussion (0)