Centre invites applications for CIC appointments

The Centre today invited applications for appointment as Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commisioners in CIC.

The term of Chief Information Commissioner Vijai Sharma ends in December. There is a vacancy of three Information Commissioners (ICs) in the transparency watchdog against its strength of ten.

"It is proposed to appoint Chief Information Commissioner and more Information Commissioners in the Commission," an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which acts as nodal authority for implementation of Right to Information Act, said.

The Act provides that the Chief Information Commissioner and ICs shall be person of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass-media and governance, it said.

"There has been a convention of appointing senior-most Information Commissioner in the CIC as its chief. However, government has been seeking nominations of the eligible candidates for the top post in the transparency watchdog to give level-playing field to all," a DoPT official said.

The applications have to be sent by October 12. The Chief Information Commissioner and ICs shall hold the office for a term of five years or till attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

The salary and allowances payable to the Chief Information Commissioner and ICs shall be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner respectively, the DoPT order said.

Further, the Chief and ICs shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of Legislative Assembly of any state or Union territory, as the case may be, or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.

"It is clarified that cessation or termination of holding of office of profit, pursuing any profession or carrying any business is a condition precedent to the appointment of a person as Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner," it said.

Persons fulfilling the criteria and interested for appointment to the post of Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner may send their particular to the DoPT by October 12, 2015.

Persons who are serving under the state or central government or any other organisation should send their particulars through proper channel (administrative ministry or department), the DoPT said.

"In case and advance copy of the application is sent before the due date the applications through proper channel should be furnished as soon as possible to be considered for further processing," it said.

Incumbent Vijai Sharma was appointed as CIC chief in June this year. There are also vacancies of three Information Commissioners in the CIC,  which is mandated to resolve appeals and complaints filed against government departments or public authorities by information seekers under the RTI Act.

The seven Information Commissioners working in the Commission are Basant Seth, Yashovardhan Azad, Sharat Sabharwal, Manjula Prasher, M A Khan Yusufi, Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu and Sudhir Bhargava.