Wed Feb 19 07:52:32 UTC 2025: ## New Chief Election Commissioner Urges Citizens to Vote in Nation-Building
**New Delhi** – Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday, emphasizing the crucial role of voting in nation-building. Kumar, appointed under the newly enacted law governing election commissioner appointments, succeeded Rajiv Kumar, who demitted office on Tuesday.
In his first address, Kumar urged all eligible citizens to register and vote, asserting the Election Commission’s unwavering commitment to upholding the Constitution and electoral laws. He will serve alongside Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, brings extensive experience from both central and state governments. His previous roles include five years in the Home Ministry, culminating as Additional Secretary. He played a significant role in the formulation of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill following the abrogation of Article 370 and was also involved in establishing the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Kumar holds a civil engineering degree from IIT Kanpur and further qualifications in business finance and environmental economics.
First Piper 