NEW DELHI, Feb 1: Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Navin Chawla, passed away Saturday, a senior official of the Election Commission of India said.
Navin Chawla (79), who passed away due to cardiac arrest, was the CEC from 2009 to 2010. He had been an Election Commissioner from 2005. The cremation will be held at the Green Park crematorium at 5 p.m. today (February 1, 2025).
He had been admitted at the Apollo Hospital here for brain surgery, former CEC S.Y. Quraishi posted on X.
“Sad to know about passing on of Shri Navin Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner of India. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr. Quraishi said.
Chawla had joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1969. In the course of his career, he served in the Governments of Delhi, Goa, Puducherry and Lakshadweep as well as Ministries of Labour, Home, and Information and Broadcasting, where as Joint Secretary and later as Secretary, he helped to shape the “Open-Sky” policies.
In 2005, he was appointed Election Commissioner. In April, 2009 he took over as Chief Election Commissioner. During his tenure he successfully completed the General Elections in April – May 2009 and initiated several important reforms.
Chawla had a long association with Mother Teresa. He first met her as a young Civil Servant and maintained a life long association with her, helping her with her work.
In 1992 he wrote her biography, entitled “Mother Teresa”. Mr. Chawla’s interest in the leprosy condition also resulted in a report on “The Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Re-integration of the Leprosy Affected in India”, which was released by Mother Teresa in 1987.
His tenure as Election Commissioner was mired in controversy when then CEC N. Gopalaswami recommended his removal to the government. It was the culmination of differences within the three-member commission on many crucial decisions.
Mr. Gopalaswami’s recommendation, which came about three months before he was to demit office as CEC, was based on a petition by the BJP, which had complained against the “partisan” functioning of Mr Chawla.
It was, however, rejected by then President Pratibha Patil.The Supreme Court had also dismissed a lawsuit that sought his removal. (Agencies)
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