Gyanesh Kumar's July Form 6 changes prompt election commissioners' backlash
Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, triggered controversy in July for changing voter registration rules (Form 6) after media reports alleged he disregarded the advice of fellow Election Commissioners while taking several key decisions.
These changes were called "illegal" and "unauthorized" by his colleagues, who pushed for them to be rolled back to protect new voters.
Kumar's family and senior bureaucratic career
Public service runs deep in Kumar's family: his elder daughter Medha Roopam is Noida's district magistrate, while his younger daughter Abhishree works with the IRS. Both of his sons-in-law are also IAS officers.
Before becoming election commissioner on March 15, 2024, Kumar served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence; Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs; Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation after graduating from IIT Kanpur.