Sukumar Sen (civil servant)

rdf:langString Sukumar Sen (civil servant)

rdf:langString Sukumar Sen

rdf:langString Sukumar Sen

rdf:langString First Election Commissioner of India

rdf:langString First Vice-Chancellor of University of Burdwan

rdf:langString Indian

rdf:langString Gouri Sen

rdf:langString Sukumar Sen (2 January 1898 – 13 May 1963) was an Indian civil servant who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India, serving from 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958. Under his leadership, the Election Commission successfully administered and oversaw independent India's first two general elections, in 1951–52 and in 1957. He also served as first Chief Election Commissioner in Sudan. Sen was the elder brother of Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996), Union Law Minister and a noted Indian barrister. Another brother was Amiya Kumar Sen, an eminent doctor, who was the last man to see Rabindranath Tagore alive. says that Sen preserved Tagore's last poem, which he had written down at the poet's dictation, and later donated it to Indian Museum in Kolkata. Sen was born on 2 January 1899 in a Bengali Baidya-Brahmin family. He was the elder or eldest son of a civil servant Akshoy Kumar Sen. He was educated at Presidency College, Kolkata and at the University of London. He was awarded a gold medal in Mathematics at the latter. In 1921, Sen joined the Indian Civil Service, and served in various districts as an ICS officer and as a judge. In 1947, he was appointed Chief Secretary of West Bengal, the senior-most rank that an ICS officer could attain in any state in British India. He was still serving in that capacity when he was sent on deputation as chief election commissioner in 1950. He was among the first recipients of the civilian honour of Padma Bhushan. He married Gouri and had two sons and daughters each with her.