The appointment of Sukhbir Singh Sandhu comes at a crucial time, with the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls presenting significant challenges for the Election Commission, have a look at his biography
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel recently appointed retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new election commissioners. This decision comes in the wake of Arun Goel’s resignation ahead of the Lok Sabha Polls, and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on 14 February, which created a vacancy.
Who is ex-IAS Sukhbir Singh Sandhu appointed as new Election Commissioner, biography, education, profile, cadre and batch
During the selection process of new Election Commissioners, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed dissent by questioning the lack of advance availability of the short-listed names of officers. The panel reportedly selected Sandhu and Kumar from a list that included 92 retired officers who served as Secretary and Secretary equivalent in the Government of India as well as serving and retired Chief Secretaries of states and union territories.
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a retired IAS officer from the Uttarakhand cadre has been selected as one of the new election commissioners. He served as the chief secretary of Uttarakhand and was appointed to the position when Pushkar Singh Dhami became the chief minister in 2021.
Sardar Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, IAS (retired Chief Secretary) from the 1988 batch of Uttarakhand cadre is an excellent choice for being appointed as the Election Commissioner.
Earlier, as the Chairman of the National Highway Authority of India, and also on interstate deputation to…
— KBS Sidhu 🌏 (@kbssidhu1961) March 14, 2024
Ex-IAS officer Singh is of the 1998 batch. In addition to a legal degree, Sandhu holds an MBBS from the Government Medical College in Amritsar and a Master’s in History from the Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar.
He has written papers on municipal management and capacity building as well as urban reforms. Sandhu has also received several accolades including the President of India Medal for his services as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, Punjab, and the 2001 President of India Medal for services rendered during the Census of India.
Before his role as the chief secretary of Uttarakhand, Sandhu served as the chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and as additional secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.
As Sandhu takes on this new role, his diverse background in medicine, history, and law, along with his extensive administrative experience will likely shape his contributions to the Election Commission of India.