NEW ELECTION COMMISSIONERS 2024

1. The high-powered selection committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners of India.
2. The appointments were made on March 14, 2024, following the recommendations of the panel.
3. Other members of the selection committee included Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
4. The appointments filled vacancies created by the retirement of Anoop Chandra Pandey on February 15 and the sudden resignation of Arun Goyal on March 9.

Dissatisfaction expressed Over Selection Process

1. The government described the appointments as a step toward ensuring the independence and impartiality of the Election Commission.
2. The opposition has criticized the selection process.
3. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was part of the selection panel, submitted a dissent note questioning the criteria used to shortlist the candidates.

CJI’s Absence from Selection Panel Criticized

1. Another point of Conflict was the absence of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection panel.
2. In a landmark judgment in March 2023, the Supreme Court had directed that the selection committee for appointment of election commissioners should include the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the CJI.
3. The court had said that this order would remain in force until the Parliament makes a law on this matter.
4. However, in December 2023, the government passed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which excluded the CJI from the selection panel.

Profiles of the New Election Commissioners

1. Gyanesh Kumar, a 1985-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, retired as Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation in 2021.

1. He has a Master's degree in Economics from Harvard University and a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
2. During his tenure in the Union Home Ministry, Kumar played a key role in the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
3. He also served as Parliamentary Affairs Secretary and was instrumental in setting up the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

2. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Uttarakhand cadre.

1. After serving in the post for almost 2 years, he retired from the post of Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand in January 2023.
2. Sandhu holds an MBBS degree from the Government Medical College, Amritsar, and a master's degree in History from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.
3. He has also served as Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.

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