CHIEF
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER - POLITY
News:
Chief Information
Commissioner & two new Information Commissioners assume office
What's
in the news?
●
Shri Heeralal Samariya has been appointed
as the Chief Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission and
assumed office today. He administered the oath of office to Information
Commissioners Smt. Anandi Ramalingam and Shri Vinod Kumar Tiwari at a
swearing-in ceremony organized by the Central Information Commission.
Central
Information Commission:
●
It is a statutory body constituted under Section 12 of RTI Act, with effect
from October 2005.
Composition:
●
It consists of the Chief Information
Commissioner (CIC) and such number of Commissioners not exceeding 10 as may be
deemed necessary.
Selection
Committee for Appointment:
●
It is there for appointments, which are
done under the hand and seal of the
President of India. It consists of
○
Prime
Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee.
○
Leader
of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
○
Union
Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
Jurisdiction:
●
It extends over all Central Public Authorities.
Power
and Functions:
●
The Commission has certain powers and
functions mentioned in Sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of the RTI Act, 2005 and
broadly relate to
○
Adjudication in the second appeal for
giving information.
○
Direction for record keeping, suo motu
disclosures receiving and enquiring into a complaint on inability to file RTI,
etc.
○
Imposition of penalties.
○
Monitoring and Reporting including
preparation of an Annual Report.
○
The decisions of the Commission are final
and binding.
Changes
made in the RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019:
1.
Central government notify the terms of Office:
●
The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)
(at the federal and state levels) is appointed for a five-year term under the
RTI Act of 2005.
●
The Amended Act eliminates this provision
and instead specifies that the Union government will notify the CIC and ICs of
their terms of office.
2.
Salaries, allowances notified by Central government:
●
According to the RTI Act of 2005, the
salaries of the CIC and IC (at the national level) will be equal to the
salaries of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
●
The modified Act repeals these clauses and
provides that the Central and State CICs and IC's wages, allowances, and other
terms and conditions of employment shall be established by the Central
government.
3.
No reduction in salaries:
●
The 2005 Act states that at the time of
appointment of the CIC and ICs (at the Central and state levels) if they are
receiving pensions or any other retirement benefits for the previous government
services, their salary will be reduced by an amount equal to the pension.
●
The 2019 amended Act removed this
provision.