Navin Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, passed away at 79 on 1st Feb during treatment at a private hospital in Delhi
Chawla was a 1969-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre and served as Election Commissioner (EC) from 2005 to 2009
He successfully conducted the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in seven states and introduced third-gender voters to register under the category “Other”
Navin Chawla constitutional reforms to ensure equal removal procedures for ECs and the CEC
His reforms in third-gender voter rights remain one of his most notable achievements