Gyanesh Kumar appointed as CEC, Vivek Joshi election commissioner

Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the next chief election commissioner on Monday, the law ministry said. Kumar is the first CEC to be appointed under a new law on the appointment of the members of the Election Commission (EC). His term will run till January 26, 2029, days before the EC is expected to announce the schedule of the next Lok Sabha election. A notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice said that President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to appoint Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner, as Chief Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India, with effect from February 19, 2025. The appointment was made in exercise of powers conferred by section 4 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
The appointment was made hours after the meeting of the Selection Committee. Gyanesh Kumar succeeds Rajiv Kumar, who will be demitting the office of Chief Election Commissioner on February 18.During his tenure as the 26th CEC, Kumar will oversee the Bihar Assembly polls later this year, and the Kerala and Puducherry Assembly polls in 2026. Similarly, he will oversee the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which are also due in 2026.Kumar is a 1988-batch Kerala-cadre IAS officer.
Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Haryana-cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as an election commissioner. Born on May 21, 1966, Joshi (58) will serve in the poll panel till 2031. According to law, a CEC or an EC retires at the age of 65 or can have a tenure in the poll panel for six years.