G. Kumar Naik is an Indian politician and former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who currently serves as a Member of Parliament in the 18th Lok Sabha from the Raichur constituency in Karnataka. He is a member of the Indian National Congress.
Born in Bangalore to Mr. T.N. Govindaswamy Naik and Smt. Sharadamma, I had my early education in different districts in Karnataka while my father who was Deputy commissioner of the Dept. of Commercial Taxes, Government of Karnataka occasionally shifted on transfer. My schooling in Sri Ramkrishna Vidyashala, Mysore has had a huge impact on my personal life and values. I pursued my graduation in Civil Engineering in University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore. After obtaining degree in first class,I appeared for Civil Services Examination and qualified, first for the Indian Customs and Central Excise Service (1988 batch) and later Indian Administrative Service (1990 batch).
G. Kumar Naik began his administrative career after joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in the 1990 batch. During the early years of his service, he worked in several districts of Karnataka including Hunsur, Kumta, Belgaum (Belagavi), Raichur and Mysore, gaining extensive experience in district administration and rural development.
Between 1994 and 1996, he served as Assistant Commissioner in Hunsur and Kumta, where he worked on land revenue administration and rural development initiatives. During this period, he actively participated in the Sampurna Saksharata Andolana (Total Literacy Campaign) and other grassroots programmes aimed at improving literacy and community participation in development.
From 1996 to 1999, Kumar Naik served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Zilla Panchayat in Belgaum (Belagavi). During his tenure, he played a key role in promoting self-help groups among rural men and women, which helped facilitate local development initiatives. This model of community mobilisation came to be recognised by NABARD as the âÂÂBelgaum Model.â Under his leadership, the Belgaum Zilla Panchayat received the first prize at the national level for the implementation of a biogas project. He was also credited with efforts to restore normalcy in Bhatkal Taluk during a period of communal tension, which was appreciated by the administration.
Kumar Naik later served as Deputy Commissioner of Raichur from 1999 to 2002, where he worked closely with issues relating to regional inequality, literacy, and malnutrition. His tenure in Raichur brought him into direct engagement with socio-economic challenges in the region and shaped his continued focus on inclusive development.
From 2002 to 2005, he served as Deputy Commissioner of Mysore. During this period, the traditional Mysuru Dasara festival was expanded with new initiatives such as Yuva Dasara, adventure sports events, and improved tourism facilitation, including the introduction of a Gold Card system for visitors to access major attractions and the Dasara procession.
Over the course of his administrative career, Kumar Naik also gained extensive experience at the policy-making level, particularly in areas such as education (both primary and higher education), energy administrationâÂÂincluding distribution, transmission and generation in conventional and renewable sectorsâÂÂand welfare administration, especially programmes related to the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
After a distinguished career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), G. Kumar Naik entered electoral politics by joining the Indian National Congress. Drawing on decades of administrative experience, he sought to address issues of regional inequality, rural development, and social welfare through public representation.
In the 2024 Indian general election, Kumar Naik contested from the Raichur (ST) Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka as the candidate of the Indian National Congress. He was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha, defeating the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Raja Amareshwara NaikRaja Amareshwara Naik.
In Parliament, Kumar Naik serves as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology. He has regularly attended the meetings of the committee and maintains a high attendance record in the Lok Sabha.
He is regarded as one of the more active Members of Parliament from Karnataka, frequently raising questions and participating in parliamentary debates. In his interventions, he has consistently highlighted key issues concerning Karnataka, particularly the development needs of the Kalyana Karnataka region and his constituency, Raichur.
Kumar Naik also engages actively with the Union Government, meeting, consulting, and corresponding with various Union Ministers to advocate for projects, infrastructure, and financial support for the state. His parliamentary work focuses on securing greater investment, development projects, and policy attention for Karnataka, especially for historically underdeveloped regions.
As a Member of Parliament from the Indian National Congress, G. Kumar Naik has also participated in several panel discussions on national news television channels, where he articulates and defends his party's position on key public issues. His interventions largely focus on public policy, governance, and constitutional matters. He has also been a panelist at BBCâÂÂs World Questions debate held in Bengaluru, where he engaged in discussions on issues of national and international relevance.