Navin Chawla

Navin Chawla is former Chief Election Commissioner of India.

He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1969. In the course of a varied and interesting career, he served in the Governments of Delhi, Goa, Puducherry and Lakshadweep as well as Ministries of Labour, Home, and Information and Broadcasting, where as Joint Secretary and later as Secretary, he helped to shape the “Open-Sky” policies. In 2005 he was appointed Election Commissioner. In April, 2009 he took over as Chief Election Commissioner. During his tenure he successfully completed, to national and international acclaim, the General Elections in April – May 2009 and initiated several important reforms. After his retirement, he has been invited to lecture at Institutions and Universities across the country. He is also frequently invited by Electoral bodies overseas to observe their elections.

Mr. Chawla had a long association with Mother Teresa. He first met her as a young Civil Servant and maintained a life long association with her, helping her with her work. In 1992 he wrote her biography, entitled “Mother Teresa”, which has been widely acclaimed both in India and overseas. The royalties from his books published in India go to the Missionaries of Charity. The royalties from foreign editions support The Lepra India Trust which provides vocational training and health care to disabled youth, leprosy patients and their families. Mr. Chawla’s interest in the leprosy condition also resulted in a report on “The Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Re-integration of the Leprosy Affected in India”, which was released by Mother Teresa in 1987.

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