From IIT Kanpur To Election Commission: Here's A Look At CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Journey As Calls For His Resignation Grow

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is facing mounting calls for his removal over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) also demanded Kumar's resignation and planned a protest at Jantar Mantar on 10 October, ahead of which several of its leaders were detained.

Separately, on Monday, INDIA bloc leaders marched towards the Supreme Court and filed a petition seeking his removal.

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1Who is Gyanesh Kumar and when did he become Chief Election Commissioner?⌵

Gyanesh Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre. He took charge as India's 26th Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025.

2What is Gyanesh Kumar's educational background?⌵

He earned a BTech in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur and completed postgraduate studies in Environmental Economics at Harvard University. He also studied Business Finance at ICFAI.

3What government roles did Gyanesh Kumar hold before becoming CEC?⌵

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. In Kerala, he headed several departments and served as Ernakulam District Collector and Cochin Municipal Commissioner.

4Why are opposition leaders calling for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation?⌵

Opposition leaders cite alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Their calls intensified after a report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised written objections to decisions concerning the rolls and the Commission's functioning.

5What did the INDIA bloc's Supreme Court petition seek regarding the SIR?⌵

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. It also sought safeguards against deleting electors without notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard.

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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. The Election Commission subsequently maintained that its decisions were unanimous and that its digital systems operated under strict security protocols.

At the centre of the row is Kumar, who took charge as India's 26th Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025.

Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

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 then completed his postgraduation in Environmental Economics at Harvard University, in addition to studying Business Finance at the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI).

His father was a doctor, and his grandfather was a freedom fighter who later served as a principal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

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He is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, with varied experience working in both central and state governments. At the Centre, he held positions including Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Secretary in the ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation.

During his tenure in the Kerala government, Kumar headed various departments, including Finance Resources; Public Works; and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. He served as managing director of the Kerala State Development Corporation for SC/ST, District Collector of Ernakulam and Municipal Commissioner of Cochin Corporation.

During his tenure as Joint Secretary in the Kashmir Division of the Home Ministry, led by Amit Shah, he also oversaw the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

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. Its responsibilities included establishing the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust.

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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. The ministry's Ayodhya cell had been established in 1990.

Later, during his tenure in the Ministry of Cooperation, Kumar was involved in the enactment of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023.

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