Vivek Joshi Biography
Dr. Vivek Joshi is a senior Indian civil servant who serves as an Election Commissioner of India. A 1989-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, Joshi joined the Election Commission on February 19, 2025, shortly after serving as Chief Secretary of Haryana.
His administrative career has covered financial services, census administration, personnel management, state government and central government assignments. He has also served on the boards of the Reserve Bank of India and State Bank of India.
Joshi’s academic background is equally extensive. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee, followed by international business and international economics at postgraduate level. He holds both a master’s degree and a PhD in International Economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
Who Is Vivek Joshi?
Vivek Joshi is an Indian Administrative Service officer who currently serves as an Election Commissioner of India.
He belongs to the 1989 batch of the Haryana cadre and has spent more than three decades in public administration. Before joining the Election Commission, he served as Chief Secretary of Haryana.
His central government career included senior assignments as Secretary of the Department of Financial Services, Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training, and Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
Early Life and Background
Joshi hails from Uttar Pradesh. He later entered the Indian Administrative Service and was allotted the Haryana cadre.
Unlike many civil servants whose careers remain concentrated in one policy area, Joshi worked across economic administration, finance, census operations, personnel management and state government.
His career therefore developed at the intersection of economic policy and public administration.
Education
Vivek Joshi has an extensive academic background.
He completed his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering in 1987 from the University of Roorkee, which is now known as the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee.
He later obtained an Executive Master’s degree in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi.
Joshi then moved to Switzerland for advanced study at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, where he earned a master’s degree and a PhD in International Economics.
His educational path therefore combines engineering, international business and economics.
Vivek Joshi’s IAS Career
Joshi joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1989 and spent his early career in Haryana.
He served as Deputy Commissioner of Jind, Hisar and Panchkula, giving him experience in district-level administration. He also served as Divisional Commissioner of Ambala and Member Secretary of the Haryana State Finance Commission.
These positions exposed him to areas including district governance, public finance and state-level administration.
Work in the Central Government
A significant part of Joshi’s career was spent on central deputation.
He served as Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, a position connected with the country’s population census and related demographic administration.
He later became Secretary of the Department of Financial Services, where his work covered India’s financial-sector administration.
He subsequently served as Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training, one of the central government’s key departments for personnel policy and civil service administration.
He also held responsibilities in ministries and departments dealing with textiles, women and child development and finance.
Vivek Joshi and RBI and SBI
Joshi’s career has also included positions connected with India’s major financial institutions.
He served as a member of the boards of both the Reserve Bank of India and the State Bank of India.
His financial administration experience was particularly relevant during his tenure as Secretary of the Department of Financial Services.
Chief Secretary of Haryana
Joshi returned to his parent cadre and became Chief Secretary of Haryana in November 2024.
A Haryana government notification records that he assumed charge as Chief Secretary on November 4, 2024, with responsibility covering general administration, human resources, personnel and training, parliamentary affairs, vigilance and other areas.
His tenure as Chief Secretary was brief. In February 2025, he was appointed to the Election Commission of India, and Anurag Rastogi subsequently became Haryana’s Chief Secretary.
Appointment as Election Commissioner
The Government of India formally appointed Joshi as an Election Commissioner on February 17, 2025. He assumed office on February 19.
The appointment placed him on the three-member Election Commission alongside Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and fellow Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The ECI’s current officers directory continues to list Joshi as an Election Commissioner.
His responsibilities now form part of the constitutional machinery overseeing elections across India.
Vivek Joshi’s Role in the Election Commission
As an Election Commissioner, Joshi participates in the work of the Election Commission on matters involving electoral rolls, election administration, polling arrangements and the implementation of India’s election laws.
In February 2026, Joshi appeared alongside CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu at the ECI’s National Round Table Conference with State Election Commissioners in New Delhi. The conference focused on coordination between the ECI and state election commissions, electoral-roll management, technology and election administration.
Vivek Joshi in the News in 2026
Joshi has received increased public attention in 2026 because of his role within the Election Commission.
A September 23, 2026 investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected on multiple occasions to decisions taken by the poll panel without their knowledge. The report described an internal disagreement within the commission. These are findings and characterizations reported by the newspaper, rather than an independent determination of wrongdoing by Joshi.
The development has placed greater public attention on the working relationship among the three members of India’s current Election Commission.
Vivek Joshi’s Age
Public records and biographical reporting give Joshi’s date of birth as May 21, 1966. On that basis, he is 60 years old as of September 2026.
His age is also relevant to his tenure because India’s law governing the Election Commission provides that an Election Commissioner serves for six years or until reaching the age of 65, whichever comes earlier.
Vivek Joshi’s Career Timeline
1966: Born on May 21 in Uttar Pradesh.
1987: Completed B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee.
1989: Joined the Indian Administrative Service as part of the Haryana cadre.
Career years: Served in Haryana district administration and later held senior positions in the state and central governments.
2019 onward: Served as Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India before moving into other senior central government positions.
2022-2024: Served as Secretary, Department of Financial Services.
2024: Became Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training and later Chief Secretary of Haryana.
November 2024: Assumed charge as Haryana Chief Secretary.
February 2025: Joined the Election Commission of India as Election Commissioner.
2026: Continues as Election Commissioner and participates in the commission’s national electoral administration activities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vivek Joshi
1. Who is Vivek Joshi?
Dr. Vivek Joshi is a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre and an Election Commissioner of India. He previously served as Chief Secretary of Haryana and held several senior positions in the central government.
2. What is Vivek Joshi’s educational qualification?
He holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, an Executive Master’s in International Business, and master’s and PhD degrees in International Economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
3. When did Vivek Joshi become Election Commissioner?
Joshi assumed office as Election Commissioner of India on February 19, 2025.
4. Was Vivek Joshi the Chief Secretary of Haryana?
Yes. He became Haryana Chief Secretary in November 2024 and served in the position until his appointment to the Election Commission in February 2025.
5. How old is Vivek Joshi?
Vivek Joshi was born on May 21, 1966, making him 60 years old in September 2026.