Om Prakash Rawat appointed new Chief Election Commissioner

Om Prakash Rawat appointed new Chief Election Commissioner; Ashok Lavasa named commissioner

Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. One of the three serving Commissioners, OP Rawat has succeded AK Joti, who is due to retire. Along with Rawat, Ashok Lavasa has become the latest adition to the Election Commissioner. Lavasa is the former Finance Secretary.Rawat had assumed charge as Election Commissioner of India on 14.08.2015. He is retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre (Batch 1977). Prior to his appointment as Election Commissioner of India, Rawat had retired as Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Department of Public Enterprises on 31.12.2013 on superannuation

Born on 2nd December, 1953, he did his MSc. in Physics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and thereafter MSc. in Social Development Planning in 1989-90 in the United Kingdom. During his long career, he served at various important portfolios at Centre and state level. He served as Collector, Narsinghpur (1983-86) and Indore (1986-88) in Madhya Pradesh. In 1993, in his first stint at Centre, he served as Director/Jt Secretary in the Defence Ministry. During this tenure, he was deputed to South Africa in May, 1994 as United Nations election observer to oversee first post-apartheid elections in that country. On return from central deputation, he served as Commissioner (Women & Child Development), Registrar (Co-operative Societies), Secretary (Cooperation), Secretary (Agriculture) and State Excise Commissioner in Madhya Pradesh. He was appointed Principal Secretary to Chief Minister in August, 2004, where he continued until January, 2006.