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Last Updated: March 09, 2024, 22:06 IST
Former bureaucrat Arun Goel while assuming charge as the Election Commissioner at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi on 2022. (PTI file photo)
With Goel’s resignation being accepted, only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar remains in the panel
Just days before the much-anticipated announcement of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned from his post on Saturday. His term was supposed to extend until 2027.
Goel’s resignation comes at a time when the Election Commission, initially a three-member panel, was reduced to two after the retirement of Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in February.
“In pursuance of clause (1) of Section 11 of The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the President is pleased to accept the resignation tendered by Shri Arun Goel, Election Commissioner with effect from the 09th March, 2024,” a gazette notification by the Union Law and Justice Ministry said on Saturday.
With Goel’s resignation being accepted, only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar remains in the panel.
Who is Arun Goel?
A former IAS officer, Goel assumed office as the Election Commissioner on November 2022. His appointment sparked controversy due to his voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Services on November 18, 2022, when he was the Union Heavy Industries Secretary. He was appointed to the Election Commission a day later.
Born on December 7, 1962, in Patiala, Goel is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1985 batch, Punjab cadre. He superannuated as Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industry, Government of India, after more than 37 years of service. Goel is a post-graduate in Development Economics from Churchill College, University of Cambridge, England. He has also been trained at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA.
During his tenure as Union Heavy Industries Secretary, Goel catalysed the E-vehicle movement in India. He implemented Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes, securing investments worth Rs. 67,690 crores against a target of Rs. 42,500 crores.
Goel’s district-level experience includes serving as District Election Officer of Ludhiana and Bathinda districts, overseeing smooth Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. In Punjab, as Principal Secretary, he steered Master Plans for New Chandigarh and other major towns.
Contributions to Election Commission
Appointed as Election Commissioner on November 21, 2022, Goel’s contributions and approach during his brief tenure remain under scrutiny. His unexpected resignation adds a layer of complexity to the Election Commission’s dynamics, especially in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
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