Rajiv Kumar is new election commissioner

RAJIV KUMAR IS A RETIRED IAS OFFICER FROM THE 1984 BATCH OF JHARKHAND CADRE

NEW DELHI: Retired bureaucrat Rajiv Kumar was on Friday appointed as election commissioner in place of Ashok Lavasa who resigned.

President Ram Nath Kovind cleared his appointment with effect from the date he assumes office. His appointment is in place of Lavasa who resigned with effect from August 31.

Lavasa is slated to join the Asian Development Bank next month. The Manila-based bank on July 15 had announced that Lavasa has been appointed as the vice-president for private sector operations and publicprivate partnerships.

A former poll official said the last time an election commissioner quit was in 1973, when Nagendra Singh, the then chief election commissioner resigned to join the International Court of Justice.

“In pursuance of clause (2) of article 324 of the Constitution, the president is pleased to appoint Shri Rajiv Kumar, (IAS retired) as the election commissioner with effect from the date he assumes the office vice Shri Ashok Lavasa, election commissioner who has resigned with effect August 31,” an official notification of the Ministry of Law and Justice said.

Rajiv Kumar is a retired IAS officer of 1984 batch of Jharkhand cadre.

A 1984-batch IAS officer, Kumar has over three decades of experience in public policy and administration across various sectors. He has BSC and LLB degrees, along with a masters in public policy and sustainability.