Former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla passes away at 79. He had been suffering from a prolonged illness. His tenure oversaw the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and the implementation of several significant reforms.
Navin Chawla: Navin Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, passed away at the age of 79. He had been battling a long-term illness. The Election Commission of India (ECI) expressed deep sorrow at his passing. Chawla implemented several crucial electoral reforms during his tenure.
Election Commission Mourns
The Election Commission of India released an official statement expressing grief over the demise of Navin Chawla. The statement noted that Chawla was a brilliant Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1969 batch, AGMUT cadre. He served as Election Commissioner from May 16, 2005, to April 20, 2009, and as the Chief Election Commissioner of India from April 21, 2009, to July 29, 2010. He was succeeded by N. Gopalaswami and successfully oversaw the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
Landmark Decision: Inclusion of the Third Gender
Numerous electoral reforms were implemented during Navin Chawla's tenure. One of the most significant was granting the right to vote to transgender individuals under the "Others" category. Previously, transgender voters had to register as either male or female. This decision by the Election Commission allowed transgender individuals to vote with their self-identified gender.
Advocate for Constitutional Reforms
Chawla championed constitutional reforms within the Election Commission. He worked towards clarifying the procedure for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs). Under his leadership, the 2009 general elections and assembly elections in seven states were successfully completed.
Deep Connection with Mother Teresa
In his personal life, Navin Chawla drew significant inspiration from Mother Teresa. He even authored a biography of Mother Teresa’s life and work. Commending his social work and electoral reforms, the Election Commission stated, "His leadership and dedication to the electoral process will continue to inspire us."
Navin Chawla's contribution to Indian democracy and the electoral system will be remembered. The reforms he implemented played a crucial role in making the Indian electoral system more inclusive and transparent.
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