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Sunil Arora (CEC) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 15, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth13 April 1956

Age67 (as of 2023)

BirthplaceHoshiarpur, Punjab, India

ProfessionCivil Servant

NationalityIndian

FamilyFather: accounts officer (Indian Railways); Mother: employee at DAV College, Hoshiarpur; Two brothers (one IAS officer, one IFS diplomat)

Sunil Arora (CEC) Biography

Sunil Arora is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer from the 1980 Rajasthan cadre who rose through state and central postings to serve as Chief

Early life and background
Sunil Arora was born on 13 April 1956 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in English from Punjab University, earning a BA (Honours) and an MA in the subject. He comes from a family with links to public service: his father worked as an accounts officer in Indian Railways and his mother was employed at DAV College in Hoshiarpur. He has two brothers, one of whom is also an IAS officer and the other served in the Indian Foreign Service.

Career
Arora joined the Indian Administrative Service in the 1980 batch and was allotted the Rajasthan cadre. During his long administrative career he held a variety of district and state-level posts, including district magistrate and collector of Nagaur, Jodhpur, Alwar and Dholpur. At the state level he served in senior secretarial roles such as Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and Principal Secretary (Investment and Protocol). He was principal secretary to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, from 2005 to 2008, and earlier served as secretary to Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the 1993–1998 period.

At the central level Arora took on several roles across ministries and public enterprises. He was Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation between 1999 and 2002. He later held the position of Chairman and Managing Director of the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) in 2009. Between 2014 and 2015 he served as Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs & Sports, and from 2015 to 2016 he was Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Arora retired from the Indian Administrative Service on 30 April 2016. After retirement he was appointed chief executive officer and director general of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, a re-employment into public service. His career in elections administration began in August 2017 when he was appointed one of the Election Commissioners of India. He was elevated to the position of Chief Election Commissioner on 26 November 2018.

Public profile
Throughout his career Arora has been associated with administrative leadership in both state and central governments, often occupying roles that bridged governance, industry promotion and communications. Known to enjoy reading and writing, his professional background spans district administration, state secretariat functions, central ministries and the management of public sector enterprises.

Some public details reported about his personal profile include a height of approximately 170 cm (about 5'7") and a listed weight near 75 kg (about 165 lbs). His eye colour is recorded as black and his hair is described as grey. Public references have noted a political inclination, and his religious background is identified as Hinduism.

Latest updates
After his retirement from the IAS in April 2016 and subsequent re-employment at the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Sunil Arora moved into the Election Commission in 2017 and took charge as Chief Election Commissioner in late 2018. These appointments mark the most recent major transitions recorded in his public career.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Sunil Arora (CEC), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Chief Election Commissioner of India

Appointed Chief Election Commissioner of India on 26 November 2018 after serving as an Election Commissioner from August 2017.

2018
Election Commissioner of India

Appointed as one of the two Election Commissioners on 31 August 2017.

2017
Director General and CEO, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

Re-employed after IAS retirement to lead the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs.

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Indian Administrative Service, 1980 batch (Rajasthan cadre)
  2. Served as Secretary in multiple central ministries including Information & Broadcasting and Skill Development
  3. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan (Vasundhara Raje), 2005–2008
  4. Chairman and Managing Director of RIICO, 2009
  5. Appointed Election Commissioner of India, 31 August 2017; became Chief Election Commissioner, 26 November 2018
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Sunil Arora (CEC) born?

Sunil Arora (CEC) was born on 13 April 1956.

What is Sunil Arora (CEC) known for?

Sunil Arora (CEC) is known for civil Servant.