Pre-check by IB must for appointments to regulatory bodies: Govt

A prior background check by the Intelligence Bureau will be a must for candidates shortlisted for appointments as chiefs and members of regulatory bodies such as SEBI and TRAI, and various tribunals, according to new rules.

The selection of chairperson and members of regulatory bodies and tribunals are done by respective selection committees or search-cum-selection committees.

The personnel ministry has issued a new set of instructions for verification of character and antecedents for appointments to such posts.

As per the norms, the respective selection committee or search-cum-selection committee shall shortlist candidates (two or three times the number of vacancies) in the first round.

"Verification of character and antecedents of the short- listed candidates shall be made by the administrative ministry/department through Intelligence Bureau," it said in a missive to secretaries of all central government departments.

Based on the clearances from the IB, the selection committee shall thereafter recommend a panel of candidates, which shall be submitted for consideration of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) by the administrative ministry after obtaining the requisite approval of the concerned minister-in-charge, the personnel ministry said.

All the ministries concerned have been asked to follow these instructions "without deviation" in all future selection to the posts of chairman, chairperson, president, vice- president, vice-chairperson, vice-president, presiding officer, accountant member, administrative member, judicial member, expert member, law member, revenue member, technical member or members in tribunals/regulatory bodies under the purview of the ACC, it said.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) are some of the regulators.

The tribunals include Central Administrative Tribunal, Securities Appellate Tribunal, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and Competition Appellate Tribunal.