Arun Goel (IAS) – Educational Journey of the Chief Election Commissioner 

It is true that there is no upper age limit for making a fresh start in life. An illustration can be drawn from a new chapter in the life of Arun Goel, the recently appointed Indian Election Commissioner, and former IAS officer. More than 1.5 years after the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav concept was first introduced, Arun Goel is currently making headlines. But this time, it is due to his fresh start as a chief election commissioner. A 60-year-old, ex-bureaucrat and officer from the Punjab cadre’s 1985 batch had a remarkable scholastic and professional trajectory. 

This blog is for you if you’re a UPSC aspirant, are often daydreaming about working for the government, or are simply an avid reader who enjoys reading about well-known people.

Take a closer look at Arun Goel’s educational background after his recent appointment as India’s Chief Election Commissioner.

Date of Birth	7 December 1962
Age	60 Years
Birth Place	Punjab, India
Nationality	Indian
Marital Status	Married
Educational Qualifications	B.A. Maths from Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab (Gold Medalist) M.A. Maths from Punjabi University, Patiala Punjab (Gold Medalist) PG Diploma in Developmental Economics from the University of Cambridge Churchill, Cambridge, England

Who is Arun Goel?

The concept for Amrit Mahotsav was actually developed by Arun Goel while he was working at the Ministry of Culture, although very few people are aware of this fact. Initiating the event in the ministry of culture, Goel conceptualised Mahotsav and prepared the preliminary planning. He is referred to as a “man of business” and a “calculative taskmaster” by those who have worked with him.

A 1985 Batch IAS officer, from the Punjab cadre, was set to retire in the month of December 2022. However, he voluntarily took retirement on November 18, 2022. He has held a number of difficult and significant positions throughout the course of his 34 years in the government, particularly in the sectors of finance, power, trade, and industry, within the Government of India, State Governments, and UT administrations. At numerous bilateral and global conferences, he has represented India. 

There aren’t many details available about his wife and kids because he has always sought to keep them out of the spotlight.

Also Read: 50 Inspiring and Great Personalities in the World!

Educational Journey of Arun Goel (IAS)

Prior to studying abroad, Arun Goel (IAS) graduated from Punjabi University in Patiala with a B.A. and an M.A. in Mathematics. Throughout both his undergraduate and graduate studies, he won gold medals. At Churchill College, University of Cambridge, England, he later earned a postgraduate diploma in developmental economics. He was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal in 1985 for academic distinction, the Punjab government’s highest accolade.

An Overview of Arun Goel’s Career

Arun Goel is one of those officials who takes his duties seriously. He supports an assertion and believes in setting deadlines for projects. Goel worked for the Centre from 2011 until 2022, serving in a variety of ministries including heavy industry, culture, urban development, finance, and labour and employment. Goel spent time in the culture ministry prior to being appointed secretary at the Ministry of Heavy Industries. Additionally, In the Prime Minister’s Office, he served as the leader of a Project Monitoring Group (PMG). But let’s examine where he actually began his professional adventure.

Arun Goel served as SDO from August 1987 until June 1989. (Civil). His in-service training includes:

Name of the Department	City/State	Tenure
Development Admin in National Institute of Rural Development.	Hyderabad	1989-1990
Junior Level Programme in Administrative Training Institute	Mysore	1992-1993
Middle Level (1983-89) Batches in Indian Institute of Management	Bangalore	1999-2000
Disaster Management in Indian Institue of Public Administration	New Delhi	2001-2002
Senior Level (1982-85) Batches in Administrative Staff College of India.	Hyderabad	2002-2003
Ethical Leadership in IC Centre for Governance (ICCG).	Panchgani	2005-2006
Advanced Course on WTO in Administrative Staff College of India	Hyderabad	2006-2007
Negotiating Strategies & Public Private Partnership in Indian Institue of Management	Bangalore	2009-2010
Governance and Social Policy in Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)	Mumbai	2012-2013
Improving Governance Through Accountability in National Academy of Audit & Accounts.	Shimla	2014-2015
Inner Engineering Leadership Programme in Insha (Foundation) Yoga Center	Coimbatore	2015-2016
Investigating Economic Crime in Financial Markets in National Institute of Security Markets	Mumbai	2016-2017

In addition, Arun Goel (IAS) received domestic training in personnel and general administration at a number of institutions, including ASCI Hyderabad, ATI Mysore, IIM Bangalore, and NIRD Hyderabad, he also completed the following international training:

1. Public Sector Management, USA
2. WTO Internal Trade and Development, Geneva
3. CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Commerce, United Kingdom
4. Arun Goel completed the “7th Round MCT Phase 5” of intermediate training in 2013.

Name of the Ministry/Department	Tenure
Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industry	2020-2022
Secretary, Ministry of Culture	2018-2019
AS&FA, Ministry of Labour & Employment	2017
Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority	2015-2016
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue	2012-2014
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development	2011
Different Roles under Punjab Government	1993-2010

Why Arun Goel is Trending?

Arun Goel’s (IAS) thoughts and strong opinions caught people’s attention while he was working for the ministry of culture, and he also succeeded in making a reputation for himself there. He was appointed by President Draupadi Murumu on November 19, 2022, filling the third and final post in the crucial constitutional body responsible for overseeing elections in India. The position had been vacant for six months. Goel joins Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey as chief election commissioners. Given his reputation as a “calculative taskmaster,” not many of them were stunned that the IAS officer from the 1985 batch was appointed as an election commissioner.

Goel was appointed to the Election Commission on November 21, three days after he voluntarily announced his retirement. He was to work with chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey. Kumar will leave his position in February 2025, and Goel will take over. Let’s take a look at Arun Goel’s role as an election commissioner;

• The polling panel will now be able to decide on the dates of the elections that will take place in Karnataka, Telangana, and the northeastern states of Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Karnataka with the addition of a new member to the committee.
• He should make sure that everything is disclosed to the public, the Indian population who are the foundation of India’s elections, and that elections are conducted in total transparency.
• He needs to oversee the selection of a candidate to join a political party or for the elections.
• While on election duty, one monitors the campaign and keeps an eye out for any misconduct or dishonest tactics.
• Assisting the media in providing extensive coverage of the elections and process.
• Keep an eye on the voting tally.
• To prepare polling places for the election process and arrive at the booth to do election duties.
• Announcement of the results by ensuring that the electoral commission’s rules are strictly followed.

FAQs

In addition to passing the UPSC and realising his aim of becoming an IAS officer via constant hard work, Arun Goel (IAS) established his own reputation and position while working with numerous ministry departments due to his great work ethic. 

We hope this blog was educational and has motivated you to pursue your goals of taking the UPSC or studying abroad. Contact our specialists at Leverage Edu if you want to make your goal of studying abroad a reality.