View source for Chief Election Commissioner of India

{{Short description|Constitutional post to the Government of India}}
{{distinguish|Election Commissioner of India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Chief Election Commissioner
| body = India
| nativename = 
| flag = 
| flagsiz = 
| flagborder = 
| flagcaption = 
| insignia = Image:Emblem of India.svg
| insigniasize = 60
| insigniacaption = 
| type = Chief Election Commissioner
| status = Head of the [[Election Commission of India]]
| department = [[Election Commission of India]]
| image = File:Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India
| incumbent = [[Gyanesh Kumar]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gyanesh Kumar appointed 26th Chief Election Commissioner |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gyanesh-kumar-appointed-26th-chief-election-commissioner/articleshow/118335153.cms |access-date=2025-02-18 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
| incumbentsince = 19 February 2025
| style = 
| residence = 
| nominator = [[Union Council of Ministers]]
| nominatorpost = 
| appointer = [[President of India]]
| appointerpost = 
| termlength = 6 years or up to 65 years of age<br /> <small>(whichever is prior)</small>
| inaugural = [[Sukumar Sen (civil servant)|Sukumar Sen]]
| formation = 
| last = 
| abolished = 
| succession = 
| deputy = [[Election Commissioners of India]]<br />Deputy Election Commissioners of India
| salary = {{INRConvert|250|k}} <small>per month</small><ref name="EC1991"/><ref name="HC"/>
| website = {{URL|https://eci.gov.in/|Election Commission of India}}
}}
{{Politics of India}}
{{Elections}} 
The '''Chief Election Commissioner of India''' ('''CEC''') heads the [[Election Commission of India]], a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections. An election commissioner is appointed by the [[President of India]] on the recommendation of a three-member selection committee headed by the [[Prime Minister of India]] and consisting of the leader of the opposition and a Union Cabinet Minister. The term of a CEC can be a maximum of six years or till he/she attains sixty five years of age. The Chief Election Commissioner is usually a member of the [[Civil Services of India|Indian Civil Service]] and mostly from the [[Indian Administrative Service]].

== Role and powers ==
Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) heads the [[Election Commission of India]], a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the [[Parliament of India|national]], the state legislatures, [[President of India|President]] and [[Vice-President of India|Vice-President]]. This power of the Election Commission of India is derived from the [[Part XV of the Constitution of India|Article 324]] of the [[Constitution of India]].<ref name="CEC">{{cite web|url=https://www.ceoandaman.nic.in/election/gfaq.php|title=Election, FAQ|publisher=Government of India|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> Chief Election Commissioner is usually a member of the [[Civil Services of India|Indian Civil Service]] and mostly from the [[Indian Administrative Service]]. The Election Commission of India consists of a chief election commissioner and two election commissioners. The chief election commissioner does not have overruling powers and any decision is taken by the opinion of the majority among the three.<ref name="CEC"/>

== Appointment and term of office ==
The appointment and term of the chief election commissioner prescribed in the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. As per the Section 7 of the act, an election commissioner is appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a selection committee headed by the [[Prime Minister of India]] and consisting of the [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|Leader of the Opposition]] in [[Lok Sabha]] and a member of the [[Union Council of Ministers]] to be nominated by the Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/sc-refuses-to-stay-new-law-on-appointment-of-cec-ecs-by-panel-excluding-cji-issues-notice/articleshow/107659220.cms?from=mdr|title=SC refuses to stay new law on appointment of CEC and ECs, issues notice to Centre|date=13 February 2024|access-date=1 April 2024|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> The senior most member of the election commission is appointed as the chief election commissioner by the President.<ref name="CEC"/> The term of the CEC can be a maximum of six years from the date on which he/she assumes his office. However, the CEC retires from office if he/she attains the age of sixty-five years before the expiry of the term.<ref name="CEC"/> The CEC can be removed by office through the process of impeachment requiring two-thirds majority of the Lok Sabha and the [[Rajya Sabha]] to be present and voting for the same.<ref name="CEC"/>

== Compensation ==
As per the Election Commission (Condition Of Service Of Election Commissions And Transaction Of Business) Act, 1991, the salary of the chief election commissioner is the same as salary of a Judge of [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name="EC1991">{{cite web|title=Election Commission (Condition Of Service Of Election Commissions And Transaction Of Business) Act, 1991|url=http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|publisher=Vakil No. 1|access-date=17 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123122252/http://vakilno1.com/bareacts/Laws/Election-Commission-Condition-Of-Service-Of-Election-Commissions-And-Transaction-Of-Business-Act-1991.htm|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref> The CEC draws a monthly salary of {{INRConvert|250|k|lk=}} plus allowances.<ref name="EC1991"/><ref name="HC">{{cite web|title=The High Court and Supreme Court Judges Salaries and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2008|url=http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|publisher=PRS India|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=22 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822023037/http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/1230018357/1230018357_The_High_Court_and_Supreme_Court_Judges__Salaries_and_Conditions_of_Service__Amendment_Bill__2008.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==List of Chief Election Commissioners==
The following have held the post of the Chief Election Commissioner of India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Chief Election Commissioners|url=https://eci.gov.in/former-cec-ec/|publisher=[[Election Commission of India]]|access-date=19 May 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;"
|-
! No.
! Name
! width=75|Portrait
! colspan="3"|Term of office
|-
| 1
|[[Sukumar Sen (civil servant)|Sukumar Sen]] 
|[[File:Sukumar Sen.jpg|75px]]
|21 March 1950
|19 December 1958
|{{ayd|1950|3|21|1958|12|19}}
|-
| 2
|[[Kalyan Sundaram]]
|
|20 December 1958
|30 September 1967
|{{ayd|1958|12|20|1967|9|30}}
|-
| 3
|[[S. P. Sen Verma]]
|
|1 October 1967
|30 September 1972
|{{ayd|1967|10|1|1972|9|30}}
|-
| 4
|[[Nagendra Singh]]
|
|1 October 1972
|6 February 1973
|{{ayd|1972|10|1|1973|2|6}}
|-
| 5
|[[T. Swaminathan]]
|
|7 February 1973
|17 June 1977
|{{ayd|1973|6|7|1977|6|17}}
|-
| 6
|[[S. L. Shakdhar]]
|
|18 June 1977
|17 June 1982
|{{ayd|1977|6|18|1982|6|17}}
|-
| 7
|[[R. K. Trivedi]]
|
|18 June 1982
|31 December 1985
|{{ayd|1982|6|18|1985|12|31}}
|-
| 8
|[[R. V. S. Peri Sastri]]
|
|1 January 1986
|25 November 1990
|{{Age in years and days|1 January 1986|25 November 1990}}
|-
|9
|[[V. S. Ramadevi]]
|[[File:VS RamaDevi.jpg|75px]]
|26 November 1990
|11 December 1990
|16 
days
|-
|10
|[[T. N. Seshan]]
|[[File:T.N. Seshan in 1994.jpg|75px]]
|12 December 1990
|11 December 1996
|6 years
|-
|11
|[[M. S. Gill]]
|[[File:Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. M.S. Gill.jpg|75px]]
|12 December 1996
|13 June 2001
|4 years 69 days
|-
|12
|[[James Michael Lyngdoh|J. M. Lyngdoh]]
|
|14 June 2001
|7 February 2004
|2 years 269 days
|-
|13
|[[T. S. Krishnamurthy]]
|[[File:The Chief Election Commissioner Shri T. S. Krishna Murthy delivering the keynote address on "Media Coverage of Election in India towards Free and Fair Elections" at a function organised by Centre for Advocacy and Research (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|8 February 2004
|15 May 2005
|1 year 69 days
|-
|14
|[[B. B. Tandon]]
|[[File:Shri B.B. Tandon in his office after assuming the charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India in New Delhi on May 16, 2005.jpg|75px]]
|16 May 2005
|29 June 2006
|269 days
|-
|15
|[[N. Gopalaswami]]
|[[File:The Chief Election Commissioner, Shri N. Gopalaswami announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, at a Press Conference, in New Delhi on March 02, 2009 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|30 June 2006
|20 April 2009
|{{Age in years and days|30 June 2006|20 April 2009}}
|-
|16
|[[Navin Chawla]]
|[[File:Election Commissioner Shri Navin. B. Chawla releasing Landmark Judgments on Election Law at a meeting with Chief Electoral Officers of all the States, in New Delhi on June 28, 2006 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|21 April 2009
|29 July 2010
|1 year 89 days
|-
|17
|[[S. Y. Quraishi]]
|[[File:Dr. S.Y. Quraishi taking charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India, in New Delhi on July 30, 2010 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|30 July 2010
|10 June 2012
|1 year 316 days
|-
|18
|[[V. S. Sampath]]
|[[File:Shri V. S. Sampath assuming the charge of the Election Commissioner, in New Delhi on April, 21, 2009.jpg|75px]]
|11 June 2012
|15 January 2015
|2 year 218 days
|-
|19
|[[Harishankar Brahma]]
|[[File:The Chief Election Commissioner, Shri H.S. Bramha addressing a Curtain Raiser Press Conference on the project of seeding of Aadhar with Electoral Roll database, in New Delhi on February 26, 2015 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|16 January 2015
|18 April 2015
|92 days
|-
|20
|[[Nasim Zaidi]]
|[[File:Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi assumes the charge as the Election Commissioner of India, in New Delhi on August 07, 2012.jpg|75px]]
|19 April 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/election_comission.aspx|title=Election Commission of India|website=ECI.nic.in|access-date=11 June 2017}}</ref>
|5 July 2017
|2 years 77 days
|-
|21
|[[Achal Kumar Jyoti]]
|[[File:Shri Achal Kumar Joti taking charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC), in New Delhi on July 06, 2017 (1) (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|6 July 2017<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-chief-election-commissioner-achal-kumar-jyoti-to-take-charge-on-july-6/1/992727.html|title=India's new Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti to take charge on 6 July|date=3 July 2017|editor-last=Borgohain|editor-first=Sonalee|website=[[India Today]]|access-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>
|22 January 2018
|{{ayd|2017|7|6|2018|1|22}}
|-
|22
|[[Om Prakash Rawat]]
|[[File:Shri Om Prakash Rawat (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|23 January 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/om-prakash-rawat-to-succeed-ak-joti-as-new-chief-election-commissioner-5033745/|title=Om Prakash Rawat to succeed AK Joti as new Chief Election Commissioner|date=21 January 2018|website=[[The Indian Express]]|publication-place=[[New Delhi]]|access-date=21 January 2018}}</ref>
|1 December 2018
|{{ayd|2018|1|23|2018|12|1}}
|-
|23
|[[Sunil Arora]]
|[[File:Media address by Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sunil Arora on 2nd December 2018 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|2 December 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/president-kovind-appoints-sunil-arora-as-new-chief-election-commissioner-5465892/|title=President Kovind appoints Sunil Arora as new Chief Election Commissioner|date=2018-11-26|access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sunil-arora-takes-over-as-chief-election-commissioner-will-oversee-2019-polls/story-xFbXfa07Z5CIX2NNBQWByO.html|title=Sunil Arora takes over as Chief Election Commissioner, will oversee 2019 polls|date=2018-12-02}}</ref>
| 12 April 2021
|{{ayd|2018|12|2|2021|4|12}}
|-
|24
|[[Sushil Chandra]]
| [[File:Sushil Chandra, Election Commissioner of India (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|13 April 2021<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sushil-chandra-appointed-chief-election-commissioner/article34303884.ece|title = Sushil Chandra appointed Chief Election Commissioner|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 12 April 2021|last1 = Nath|first1 = Damini}}</ref>
|14 May 2022
|{{ayd|2021|4|13|2022|5|14}}
|-
|25
|[[Rajiv Kumar (civil servant)|Rajiv Kumar]]
|[[File:Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|15 May 2022<ref>{{cite news |title=Rajiv Kumar takes charge as 25th Chief Election Commissioner, says EC won't shy away from tough calls |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rajiv-kumar-assumes-charge-as-chief-election-commissioner/article65416424.ece |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=15 May 2022 |language=en-IN}}</ref>
|18 February 2025
|{{Age in years and days|15 May 2022|18 February 2025}}
|-
|26
|[[Gyanesh Kumar]]
|[[File:Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar.jpg|left|frameless|75x75px]]
|19 February 2025<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gyanesh-kumar-named-new-chief-election-commissioner-101739805476783.html|title=Gyanesh Kumar appointed next chief election commissioner|access-date=18 February 2024|date=18 February 2014|newspaper=[[The Hindustan Times]]}}</ref>
|''Incumbent'' 
|{{Age in years and days|19 February 2025}}
|}

== Reforms ==
The Election Commission of India was a single member body till 1989 when two election commissioners were appointed to aid the chief election commissioner.<ref name="CEC"/> While the office has always been an important one in the machinery of the Indian political process, it gained significant public attention during the tenure of [[T.N. Seshan]], from 1990 to 1996.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Narasimhan|first1=T. E.|title=The more you kick me...|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/-the-more-you-kick-me-112051200032_1.html|access-date=9 August 2016|work=Business Standard|date=12 May 2012}}</ref> Seshan is widely credited with enforcing the powers of the election commission strongly and undertaking a zealous effort to end corruption and manipulation in Indian elections.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Das|first1=Sanjib Kumar|title=The man who cleaned up India's elections|url=http://gulfnews.com/culture/people/the-man-who-cleaned-up-india-s-elections-1.1326815|access-date=10 August 2016|work=Gulf News|date=1 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=india1>{{cite news|last1=Srivastava|first1=Ritesh K.(The Observer)|title=Empowering the EC|url=http://zeenews.india.com/blog/empowering-the-ec_658.html|access-date=19 December 2014|publisher=Zee News|date=5 March 2012}}</ref>

In June 2012, former [[Deputy Prime Minister of India]] and former [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|Leader of the Opposition]] in [[Parliament of India|Indian Parliament]], [[Lal Krishna Advani]] suggested that appointment of CEC (as well as the [[Comptroller and Auditor General of India]] (CAG)) should be made by a [[bipartisan]] [[collegium]] consisting of the Prime Minister, the [[Chief Justice of India|Chief Justice]], the [[Ministry of Law and Justice (India)|Law Minister]] and the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.<ref>{{cite web|title=Members Bioprofile|url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=9|publisher=Lok Sabha of India/National Informatics Centre, New Delhi|access-date=27 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429080434/http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=9|archive-date=29 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="KA2">{{cite news|title=KA2|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Karunanidhi-backs-Advanis-view-on-collegium-to-appoint-CAG-Election-Commissioner/articleshow/13850538.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101092927/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-05/india/32055097_1_karunanidhi-backs-collegium-l-k-advani|url-status=live|archive-date=1 November 2013|access-date=5 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=5 June 2012}}</ref> As per Advani, the demand was to remove any impression of bias or lack of transparency and fairness because the existent system was open to manipulation and [[partisanship]].<ref name="KA2"/><ref name="KA1"/> Subsequently, former [[Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu]], [[M Karunanidhi]] also supported the suggestion.<ref name="KA1">{{cite news|title=Karunanidhi backs Advani's plea for collegium|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3493632.ece|access-date=5 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=5 June 2012|location=Chennai}}</ref> Similar recommendations were made by former CEC's such as [[B B Tandon]], [[N Gopalaswamy]] and [[S Y Quraishi]].<ref name="SYQ">{{cite news|title=SYQ|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Collegium-needed-to-select-EC-SY-Quraishi/articleshow/14974775.cms|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=16 July 2012|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-CECs backed collegium, Law Ministry not too keen|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/excecs-backed-collegium-law-ministry-not-too-keen/960128/0|access-date=5 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|date=10 June 2012}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Chief Election Commissioner of India}}

{{Clear}}
{{Chief Election Commissioners of India}}

[[Category:Chief Election Commissioners of India| ]]