ReportWire

Tag: election commissioner

  • Supreme Court questions Centre’s ‘haste’ in appointing Arun Goel as Election Commissioner

    Supreme Court questions Centre’s ‘haste’ in appointing Arun Goel as Election Commissioner

    [ad_1]

    The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the Centre’s haste in appointing ex-IAS officer Arun Goel as the Election Commissioner. It said that it was not questioning the newly-appointed EC’s credentials but the process through which he was appointed. 

    “What kind of evaluation is this? Although, we are not questioning the merits of Arun Goel’s credentials but the process,” said the five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph after perusing the Centre’s original file pertaining to Goel’s appointment. 

    The bench pointed out that the file did not even move within departments for 24 hours, and questioned the ‘lightning speed’ with which Goel was appointed EC. The court pointed out that the IAS officer got voluntary retirement from his service in a single day, the file was cleared by the Law Ministry in a single day, a panel of four names were put up before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Goel’s name was approved by the President – all within 24 hours. 

    The bench said that none of the four names in the panel were ‘carefully hand-picked’ by the Law Minister. 

    Attorney General R Venkataramani, who was appearing for the Centre said that there is a mechanism in place and that the government cannot look into every name and check every officer’s track record. 

    The Centre vehemently resisted the observations. It urged the apex court to not make observations without going through the entire issue of Goel’s appointment. 

    The court was hearing pleas seeking a collegium-like system for the appointment of ECs. Justice Ajay Rastogi told Attorney General Venkataramani that there are no individual candidates but on the process and that the Centre has to answer the questions carefully. 

    Venkataramani said that Goel’s profile is important and not his voluntary retirement which is being made an issue. 

    Goel’s appointment as the EC came under scrutiny, and the court said it wanted to know if there was any ‘hanky panky’, on Wednesday. It said it wants to know if everything was ‘hunky dory’ in the appointment process. 

    Goel, a Punjab cadre IAS officer, was appointed as Election Commissioner on November 19. He was the secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and his voluntary retirement came into effect on November 18. He has also served in the Union culture ministry.

    (With PTI inputs)

    Also read: ‘Bring the files tomorrow’: Supreme Court directs AG on appointment of Arun Goel as EC

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • ‘Bring the files tomorrow’: Supreme Court directs AG on appointment of Arun Goel as EC

    ‘Bring the files tomorrow’: Supreme Court directs AG on appointment of Arun Goel as EC

    [ad_1]

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said it wants to see the files relating to the recent appointment of Arun Goel as the Election Commissioner. The court also said that it would have been more appropriate if the appointment was not made when the Constitution bench hearing was going on. 

    The apex court is currently hearing a batch of petitions seeking an independent mechanism to appoint Election Commissioners (ECs).  

    Goel was appointed as Election Commissioner on November 19. He took charge as EC two days later on November 21. The petitioners raised questions over his appointment as he had taken voluntary retirement just six weeks ago.

    Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said the latest appointment of Goel has been made by giving him voluntary retirement. He said everybody who has been appointed as Election Commissioner is a retired person. “He (Goel) was sitting Secretary in the government. Thursday this court heard the matter. Friday he was given voluntary retirement. His appointment order was issued on Saturday or Sunday. And Monday he started working,” Bhushan said.  

    After hearing the petitioners, the SC asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to bring the files relating to the appointment of Goel on Thursday. “Because this appointment was made after we began hearing this case…,” the court was quoted as saying by legal site Live Law. The court said it just wants to understand the mechanism and see if everything is “hunky-dory”.

    Venkataramani, however, objected to the direction and said the court is dealing with the larger issue of the appointment of ECs and it cannot look at an individual case. “I take serious objection to this and have my reservation to the court seeing the file amidst the hearing of a Constitution bench,” he said.

    The apex court said that it started hearing the matter last Thursday and Goel’s appointment was made on November 19. Therefore, the court said it wants to see what prompted the latest appointment.

    Who is Arun Goel? 

    Goel was an IAS officer of the 1985 batch. He took VRS over a month ago a was appointed as EC on November 19. He superannuated as Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industry, Government of India after more than 37 years of service. Born on 7th December 1962, he has a post-graduate degree in Development Economics from Churchill College, University of Cambridge. He has also been trained at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA.

    As Secretary of Heavy Industries, he catalyzed the e-vehicle movement in India. He implemented the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Auto Industry in a record time getting investments worth Rs 67690 crore against the target of Rs 42,500 crores and PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage getting manufacturing set up for 98 GW against a target of 50 GW, according to EC website.  

    Goel was a District Election Officer of Ludhiana district (1995-2000) and Bathinda district (1993-94) where he smoothly conducted various Lok Sabha and assembly elections. 

    In Punjab, as Principal Secretary, he steered Master Plans of New Chandigarh and all other major towns, the commission said. 

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Retired IAS officer Arun Goel assumes office as India’s new Election Commissioner

    Retired IAS officer Arun Goel assumes office as India’s new Election Commissioner

    [ad_1]

    Retired IAS officer Arun Goel today has taken charge as the Election Commissioner. Goel will join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in the Election Commission. Former Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra retired in May this year, handing charge to Rajiv Kumar.

    Goel will be in line to become the next Chief Election Commissioner after Kumar’s tenure ends in February 2025.

    The Retired Punjab cadre officer was till recently the heavy industries secretary and has also served in the Union Culture ministry.

    In an official statement, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that Goel had “catalysed e-vehicle movement in India to a tipping point” as heavy industries secretary. He had earlier served as secretary in the Union finance, urban development and labour & employment ministries. He has also headed Project Monitoring Group (PMG) in Prime Minister’s Office. Goel has represented India at many multilateral and bilateral forums.

    Goel graduated in electrical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering in 1980 and completed his PGDM (MBA) from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad in 1982. He also subsequently obtained a post-graduate degree in Economics from Himachal Pradesh University and a post-graduate degree in Development Management from Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.

    A person can hold the office of an EC or CEC for six years or till the age of 65, whichever is earlier. Arun Goel will be in office till December 2027.
     

    Also read: Delhi MCD Election 2022: Polling dates, results, wards – All you need to know

    Also read: Committed to working quickly on UK-India FTA: British PM Rishi Sunak

    [ad_2]

    Source link