Manohar Singh Gill Birthday: Must-Know Facts About India’s Former Election Commissioner

Manohar Singh Gill, born 14 June 1936, popularly known as M. S. Gill is a retired Indian bureaucrat, politician, and writer. As a bureaucrat, he served as a member of the Indian Administrative Service from 1958 until his retirement in 2001 as the Chief Election Commissioner of India. And, on this day in 2023, take a moment to know more about his contributions to India’s development and electoral system.

All you need to know about M S Gill:

• Gill attended St. George's College in Mussoorie, India.  In 1958, he joined the Indian Administrative Services and served in administration at various places in different capacities in the undivided Punjab until 1966 when Punjab was trifurcated to carve out separate states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.

• In 1972, Gill authored the book Himalayan Wonder: Travels in Lahaul and Spiti, recounting stories from his days as a young IAS officer in the Lahaul-and-Spiti district, then in Punjab. Another book based on that period that he wrote is Tales from the Hills: Lahaul's Enduring Myths and Legends (2014).

• His various postings included as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Mahendragarh, now in Haryana, and Deputy Commissioner of the then Lahaul-Spiti district, now in Himachal Pradesh. He also served as the Agriculture Secretary of Punjab from 1985-1987 under Captain Amarinder Singh who was then the Agriculture Minister of Punjab.

• Gill served as the Chief Election Commissioner of India from 1996 to 2001 succeeding T. N. Seshan. His major achievement was the introduction of Electronic Voting machines which curbed malpractices to a large extent. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his work in this post. At the 300-year anniversary of the Khalsa, he was awarded the "Nishan-e-Khalsa".

• Upon his retirement from the elite services, he joined politics with the Indian National Congress. In 2004, he was nominated by the party for the election to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab and became its member on 10 April 2004. He was re-elected in 2010 and continued to serve as its member till his retirement upon completion of his tenure on 9 April 2016.

• In a cabinet reshuffle held on 6 April 2008, he was inducted to the union council of ministers as Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Following the Congress party's victory in the 2009 Indian election, he was re-inducted into the council of ministers and held cabinet rank in the second term. He continued to serve as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

• It was during his tenure as Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports that India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi which also contributed to huge controversies including several allegations of corruption and mismanagement which later led to his removal from the ministry in a cabinet reshuffle in January 2011.

• He was then appointed as the Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 19 January 2011 and served until his resignation on 12 July 2011.