Rajiv Kumar
IAS, Jharkhand (Bihar/Jharkhand) cadre, 1984 batch
Chief Election Commissioner of India (15 May 2022 to 18 Feb 2025)
Summary
Chairman of the Public Enterprises Selection Board two months after retiring as Finance Secretary; named Election Commissioner three days after the post fell vacant; became CEC by seniority. No court finding or documented supersession.
By the numbers
174 days from retirement to Election Commissioner
29 Feb 2020 to 21 Aug 2020, with PESB chairmanship in between. indianexpress.com
3 days from the vacancy to his appointment
Lavasa resigned 18 Aug 2020; Kumar named 21 Aug 2020. indianexpress.com
The rise, step by step
Each step is solid where two sources carry it, a hairline where one does.
One report
Joins IAS; Jharkhand cadre.
One report
Retires as Finance Secretary.
One report
Appointed Chairman, Public Enterprises Selection Board, for three years.
Documented
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa resigns to join the Asian Development Bank as Vice-President, creating the vacancy. IE noted he had over two years left and would have retired as CEC in October 2022.
One report
Appointed Election Commissioner in Lavasa's place (Law Ministry notification).
One report
Assumes office as Election Commissioner.
Documented
Becomes the 25th Chief Election Commissioner (Law Ministry notification of 12 May 2022), as the senior Election Commissioner under the convention then followed.
One report
The ECI, which he headed, uploads on its website the electoral bond data received from SBI under Supreme Court orders (SBI had supplied it on 12 Mar).
One report
Demits office on reaching 65.
Sources
- indianexpress.com
- pib.gov.in
- business-standard.com
- web.archive.org
- pib.gov.in
- indianexpress.com
- indianexpress.com
- pib.gov.in
These are documented facts placed side by side. Nothing here asserts or implies wrongdoing by any officer. Acquittals, dismissed petitions and clean chits are recorded alongside adverse findings. Every source was opened and checked on Oct 2026.
Photo: Election Commission of India, GODL-India