'Need ekant and swadhyay': CEC Rajiv Kumar plans to detoxify and spend months in Himalayas post retirement

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday his plans to "detoxify" and spend several months in solitude in the Himalayas after his retirement next month.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Jan 7, 2025, 5:39 PM IST | Last Updated Jan 7, 2025, 5:45 PM IST

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday his plans to "detoxify" and spend several months in solitude in the Himalayas after his retirement next month.

During a press conference to announce the Delhi Assembly elections, he shared these introspective post-retirement plans.

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"I will detoxify myself for the next four-five months, go to the deep Himalayas, be away from the glare of all of you. I need some 'ekant' (solitude) and 'swadhyay' (self-study)," Kumar, who is set to retire on February 18, said.

In October of last year, Kumar was rescued from the remote Ralam village in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district after an emergency helicopter landing due to bad weather left him stranded at over 12,000 feet.

A 1984-batch IAS officer from the Bihar/Jharkhand cadre, Kumar also shared his personal aspiration to give back to society by teaching underprivileged children. He reflected on his humble beginnings, having studied in a municipal school where classes were held under a tree.

"I started learning ABCD in the 6th class. We carried a slate and sat under a tree to study. As a passion, I want to go back to those roots and teach such children," he said.

Known for weaving poetry into his speeches, Kumar used evocative couplets to emphasize his points.

In response to some parties questioning the Election Commission's integrity, he recited:

"Aarop aur ilzamat ka daur chale koi gila nahi; jhooth ke gubbaron ko bulandi mile, koi shikwa nahi; har parinam me praman dete hain par wo bina saboot shaq ki nai duniya raunak karte hain."

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This poetic plea served as a call to avoid baseless accusations and recognize the transparent work of the Election Commission.

While announcing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, CEC Kumar humorously remarked, "It is not proper to blame the EC for unfulfilled desires when one has not done their job properly."

Kumar became the 25th Chief Election Commissioner on May 15, 2022, after serving as Election Commissioner since September 2020. During his tenure, he oversaw significant elections, including the 16th Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections in 2022, as well as assembly elections in 11 states.

Before his role as CEC, Kumar held several prominent positions, such as finance secretary and chairman of the Public Enterprises Selection Board. As finance secretary, he led major reforms, including bank mergers, the recapitalization of public sector banks, and actions against shell companies.

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