Appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner

Sub: Polity

Sec: National Body

Context: –

Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after a meeting of a three-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17, 2025.
He will assume office on February 19, 2025, the same day the Supreme Court is set to hear the challenge to the new CEC and EC appointment law.

Criticism of the New Law

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 has been criticized for altering the selection process.
Previously, the CEC and ECs were appointed by the President based on government recommendations.
Supreme Court’s March 2, 2023 judgment (Anoop Baranwal vs Union of India) mandated a selection panel with:
- Prime Minister
- Leader of the Opposition
- Chief Justice of India (CJI)
The government later replaced the CJI with a Union Minister, thereby ensuring a dominant role for the executive in appointments.
- The new panel according to according to law will consist of :-
- Prime Minister
- Union Minister
- Leader of the Opposition

Congress Stand on the Issue

Congress called the new law “partisan” and “non-neutral”, demanding an early hearing and disposal of the case in the Supreme Court.
Congress leaders highlighted that the current selection committee violates the Supreme Court ruling of March 2023.

Former CEC’s Views on Electoral Reforms

Outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar emphasized the need for:
- Empowering NRIs to vote from their location.
- Consensus on remote voting mechanisms for migrant voters.
- Biometric authentication at polling booths to prevent impersonation.

Supreme Court Hearing on February 19, 2025

The Supreme Court will hear the challenge to the new CEC and EC appointment law on February 19, 2025.
The case will decide the validity of the government’s selection process and its compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 judgment.