The President has appointed the former Civil Aviation Secretary Syed Nasim Ahmed Zaidi as an Election Commissioner.  He will be India's election commissioner till 2017.

Zaidi, a 1976 batch  IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh Cadre, retired as the Civil Aviation secretary on July 31. He had earlier worked as Director General of Civil Aviation and was India's representative in the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The vacancy in the 3 Member Election Commisson was caused following the retirement of Chief Electionn Commissioner S Y Quraishi on June 10, 2012.   The Commission  presently headed by  V S Sampath, has H S Brahma as the other Member.