Powers of ECI IT Chief Seema Khanna Clipped: New Order After 3 Months, Files Now to Route Only Through Senior DEC Pawan Kumar Sharma

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has restored the supervisory reporting structure for its Director General (IT), Seema Khanna. According to a new order issued on November 4, 2026, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) Pawan Kumar Sharma will now oversee the IT and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) departments. Khanna will have to submit all files related to these departments exclusively through Sharma.

What Was the Previous Decision?

According to 'The Indian Express', the new order reverses the structural changes made on July 28, 2026.

At that time, the responsibilities for IT and ICT were taken away from the then DEC Sanjay Kumar and directly handed over to Seema Khanna. This had created a structure where she could directly report to the Commission without an intermediary supervisory officer.

Election Commissioners Had Raised Objections

Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had voiced objections to this decision.

On July 29, both written a letter to Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan alleging that Senior DEC Manish Garg issued the order without obtaining the Commission's approval.

ECI's Stance

The Commission maintains that the disputed arrangement was never implemented in practice. Seema Khanna continued to submit files through Garg.

Following Sanjay Kumar's exit from the Commission in August, Garg handled the IT-related responsibilities.

According to a source, the fresh allocation reflects a unanimous decision of the Commission, and the DG (IT) has historically always reported to an officer of DEC rank.

Matter Reached the Supreme Court

The controversy came to light following an investigative report by 'The Indian Express' on September 23 and subsequent petitions filed in the Supreme Court challenging the functioning of the Commission. In its response submitted to the court on October 26, 2026, the ECI stated that the July 28 order was issued by an officer of Additional Secretary rank (Garg) and was never implemented following joint directions from both Election Commissioners on July 30.