Retired IAS Arun Goel appointed as Election Commissioner of India

Retired IAS Arun Goel appointed as Election Commissioner of India: Retired Punjab cadre IAS officer Arun Goel on Monday assumed the office of Election Commissioner (EC), two days after President Droupadi Murmu appointed him to the post. A Punjab cadre officer of the 1985 batch, Goel will join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in the poll panel. Till recently, Mr Goel was the heavy industries secretary and has also served in the Union Culture ministry. He was supposed to retire on December 31, 2022, however he voluntarily retired on November 18.

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Former Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra retired in May of this year, leaving Rajiv Kumar in charge. The poll panel has been a two-member body since and had to handle several crucial issues including the demands for disqualification of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The poll panel will have its full strength when it decides the election schedule for Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Karnataka in the coming months.

Notably: According to the law dealing with appointment, service conditions and retirement of election commissioners, a person can hold the office of an EC or CEC for six years or till the age of 65, whichever is earlier. Mr Goel’s term will end in December 2027.