Achal Kumar Jyoti

Achal Kumar Jyoti was born on 23 January, 1953. He is a 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and a former Chief Secretary of Gujarat. Achal Kumar Jyoti has been appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. Achal Kumar Jyoti will take charge as CEC on July 6, 2017, after Nasim Zaidi retires. Nasim Zaidi had taken over as the 20th CEC of India on April 19, 2015. Achal Kumar Jyoti will have a tenure of nearly three years as ECs demit office at the age of 65. An EC or a CEC has a tenure of six years in office or till he or she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

The 64-four-year-old Achal Kumar Jyoti was appointed as the Gujarat Election Commissioner on May 7, 2015, and retired from the active services in January 2013. Achal Kumar Jyoti served in various capacities in Gujarat including as the Chairman of the Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004 and Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL). In Gujarat, Achal Kumar Jyoti served at the top bureaucratic post of the state when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

When in his mid-50s, Achal Kumar Jyoti has also worked as Secretary in the Industry, Revenue and Water Supply Departments. Read more about Achal Kumar Jyoti here.

Photo by PTI.