Om Prakash Rawat appointed New Chief Election Commissioner

President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Election commissioner Om Prakash Rawat (64) as new Chief Election Commissioner. He will succeed Achal Kumar Joti who has retired from post.
Moreover, President also appointed former finance secretary Ashok Lavasa as Election commissioner. Both will have tenure of six years in office or till he or she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Om Prakash Rawat

Om Prakash Rawat is 1977-batch IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh cadre. He was appointed to Election Commission in August 2015. He has held several important portfolios at Centre and state level during his long bureaucratic career.
Prior to his appointment as Election Commissioner, he had had retired as Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries and public enterprises. He had earlier also served as director in defence ministry in 1993. During this tenure, he was deputed to South Africa in May, 1994, as UN election observer to oversee first post-apartheid elections.
He has also served as principal secretary to Babu Lal Gaur, the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 2004 to 2006. He received Prime Minister’s award for excellence in Public Administration for his initiative “recognition of forest rights in 2010.

Background

ECI is permanent and independent constitutional body established directly by Constitution of India to ensure fair and fair elections in the country. It is multi member body and currently has three members including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
They all are appointed by the President. They hold office for term of six years or until they attain age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The service conditions and tenure of office of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners are determined by an act of parliament titled The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Conditions of Service) Act, 1991.
The CEC and election commissioners have equal power and receive equal salary, allowances and other perquisites, which are similar to judge of Supreme Court. In case of difference of opinion amongst CEC and Election Commissioner, matter is decided by Commission by majority.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2018