New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, convened a high-level meeting on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to discuss appointments to the Central Information Commission (CIC), including the post of Chief Information Commissioner and eight vacant Information Commissioner positions.
Appointment Committee: Structure and Concerns
Under Section 12(3) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the selection committee responsible for recommending candidates comprises the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of the Opposition, and a Union Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The committee finalizes names that are subsequently forwarded for formal appointment.
Rahul Gandhi, during his address in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, expressed dissatisfaction over the committee’s composition, stating that he had only an “isolated voice” in the discussions and that his views held little significance due to the committee’s 2:1 majority structure.
According to sources, Gandhi and Amit Shah were seen leaving the PMO around 2:30 pm on Wednesday following the meeting.
Supreme Court’s Involvement
The meeting took place against the backdrop of Supreme Court proceedings concerning a petition seeking the timely filling of vacancies in the Central and State Information Commissions (CICs and SICs).
On December 1, the central government had informed the Supreme Court that the selection committee meeting was scheduled for December 10, and that notices had already been issued to the members. Recording this submission, the court deferred further hearing of the petition.
Additionally, the Bench—comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi—directed Chief Secretaries of all States to provide detailed data on the sanctioned strength, existing vacancies, and the number of pending appeals and complaints before their respective State Information Commissions.
Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Prashant Bhushan highlighted the growing backlog of cases resulting from the failure to fill vacancies in the information commissions. He reminded the court that several comprehensive orders had previously been issued, instructing both the Centre and the States to expedite the appointment process.
.png)
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.