A crucial meeting is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition leader in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi set to select the next Chief Information Commissioner and other Information Commissioners. The Central Information Commission has been operating with a significantly reduced staff since September, with eight commissioner posts vacant. This selection process is vital for the functioning of the CIC.
NEW DELHI: A three-member selection committee headed by PM Narendra Modi which also includes leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet Wednesday afternoon to choose the next chief information commissioner (Chief IC) and information commissioners (ICs) to fill vacant positions at Central Information Commission (CIC).Govt had informed Supreme Court on Dec 1 that the committee’s meeting to select and recommend names for these posts will be held on Dec 10. The CIC has been without a chief since the incumbent Heeralal Samariya demitted office on Sept 13 on attaining the age of 65 years.Besides the chief, the commission can have up to 10 commissioners. Currently, it has to make do with just two ICs: Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari. Eight posts of IC have been vacant since Nov 2023. With Samariya demitting office, the chief’s post in CIC has fallen vacant for the seventh time since 2014. Under Section 12 (3) of the Right to Information Act, the prime minister is the chairperson of the search committee, which also comprises the leader of opposition and a Union minister nominated by the PM.According to the procedure for appointment of the CIC, the particulars of interested candidates are invited through advertisements. These details are tabulated by DoPT and sent to a search committee constituted by the PM and chaired by the cabinet secretary. The names as well as shortlisted ones, are then sent to the PM-headed committee. tnn
