Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II-Quasi-Judicial Bodies

In News:

• President appoints Information Commissioner Bimal Julka as CIC
• Central Information Commission is presently at a reduced strength of six information commissioners, against the sanctioned strength of 11 (including the CIC).

Value addition for Prelims

• 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.
• 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.