Kumar, who played an important role in implementing the decisions after abolishing Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir during his tenure in the Union Home Ministry, took charge as Election Commissioner on 15 March 2024.
After his appointment, the Congress asked the government to postpone its decision on the new CEC, until the Supreme Court concluded its hearing on the petition challenging the composition of the selection panel.
Sources said that during a meeting of the selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the demand of the Congress was put up by the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The meeting was held at the South Block Office of the Prime Minister. Apart from Modi and Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah is the third member of the selection panel.
Kumar is the 1988 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer. After completing his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, he studied Environmental Economics at Business Finance and Harvard University, America in ICFAI, India.
He has worked as an assistant collector of Ernakulam in the Government of Kerala, sub-collector of Adoor, Managing Director of Kerala State Development Corporation, for SC/ST, Municipal Corporation Commissioner of Corporation of Kochin, in addition to other posts .
As Secretary to the Government of Kerala, Kumar handled various departments, such as finance resources, fast-track projects and Public Works Department.
In the Government of India, he has a rich experience of working as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation. He supernatured on 31 January 2024.
(Tagstotransite) PTI
