INFORMATION COMMISSIONERS

Subject: Polity

Context: Former diplomat and Central Information Commissioner Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha is tipped to be appointed as the country’s next Chief Information Commissioner.

Concept:

• The Chief Information Commissioner(CIC) and Information Commissioners(CI) shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of

                             The Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee.

                             The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

                             A Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

• Section 12(5) of the RTI Act 2005 provides that the CIC and IC shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
• Also, CIC/IC shall not be a MP or MLA, or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.
• RTI Amendment 2019 gave discretionary powers to government regarding terms and condition for Information and Chief Information Commissioners and reduced their status which is held before as equal to Election and Chief Election Commissioner.
• Prior to RTI Amendment ,

      CIC shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office and shall not be eligible for reappointment

        Salaries and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service of the CIC shall be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of ICs shall be the same as that of Election Commissioner

       Information Commissioner(IC) shall also hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office and shall not be eligible for reappointment of IC. However, IC is eligible for appointment as CIC

       Where the Information Commissioner is appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner, his term of office shall not be more than five years in aggregate as the Information Commissioner and the Chief Information Commissioner.