6 months ago
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The Centre informed the Supreme Court connected Monday (October 27, 2025) that vacancies successful the Central Information Commission (CIC), which has nary Chief Information Commissioner and is down to conscionable 2 Information Commissioners retired of a full sanctioned spot of 10, volition beryllium filled successful “two oregon three” weeks.
Appearing earlier a Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj said the shortlisted names of candidates had been forwarded to the high-profile enactment committee of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and a nominee of the government.
However, petitioners, represented by advocator Prashant Bhushan, countered that determination is simply a implicit accusation blackout connected the assignment process to the Central Information Commission, and “names are air-dropped without immoderate transparency”.
Mr. Bhushan, appearing for Anjali Bhardwaj, Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd.) and Amrita Johri, said it was an irony that the appointments to the precise apex assemblage nether the Right to Information (RTI) Act were shrouded successful opacity portion pendency was touching 30,000.
He said pendency was skyrocketing successful the commission. Even the Chief Information Commissioner had retired. Nothing had been done since the past bid of the Supreme Court 10 months ago, directing the authorities to capable the vacancies. He said the authorities was applying the slow-choke to RTI.
“The champion mode to termination the RTI is to not marque immoderate appointments… If they bash marque appointments, they prime persons retired of the blue. Names are conscionable air-dropped. There is nary accusation connected who is being appointed,” Mr. Bhushan, on with advocates Rahul Gupta and Cheryl D’souza, submitted.
Mr. Nataraj said the petitioners could not determine the suitability of the candidates, and their eligibility was decided by the RTI Act. He said the petitioners ought to hold till the appointments were really made earlier complaining.
“So, this is similar saying fto the execution hap archetypal and past you tin rise your dependable against it. The names of candidates who person applied for the posts of Information Commissioners person to beryllium made public,” Mr. Bhushan contended.
He referred to a Supreme Court bid of January 7, which had required the Centre to disclose “the members of the hunt committee and the database of candidates who person applied”.
“The authorities has to marque nationalist the members of the hunt committee and the candidates who person applied. This has to beryllium done earlier the appointments are made. The shortlisting criteria person besides not been provided and the shortlisted candidates are besides not known,” Mr. Bhushan pointed out.
He said those who had not applied ought not to beryllium considered for the commission. However, Justice Kant indicated that definite precise eminent persons mightiness not adjacent apply, leaving the authorities nary prime but to proactively see their names successful nationalist interest.
Mr. Bhushan said the concern successful respective State Information Commissions was besides alarming — the Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh accusation Commissions were “defunct”. He submitted that Chhattisgarh was functioning with a azygous commissioner contempt pendency of astir 35,000 appeals/complaints.
The tribunal directed States to implicit the enactment process for Information Commissioners to their State Information Commissions successful 3 weeks and taxable reports. States person besides been asked to see sanctioning much posts of Information Commissioners owed to the ample pendencies. They person been asked to taxable presumption reports connected the latest sanctioned spot of Information Commissioners, the presumption of enactment process and the pendency rate.
The lawsuit was listed for further proceeding connected November 17.
