New Delhi: A high-stakes meeting of the three-member selection committee is scheduled today to appoint the next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioner. The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will include Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is expected to play a key role in finalizing the appointments.
The meeting assumes significance as the CIC currently has several vacant positions. Following the retirement of former Chief Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya on 13 September 2025, the top post has remained vacant. Currently, the commission has only two serving Information Commissioners, Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari, leaving eight commissioner positions unfilled since November 2023. Samariya’s retirement marks the seventh vacancy for CIC’s chief post since 2014.
Selection Process for Chief Information Commissioner
Under Section 12(3) of the Right to Information Act, the Prime Minister chairs the search committee, which includes the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a central minister nominated by the Prime Minister. Candidates for the Chief Information Commissioner are invited through public advertisements. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) prepares a list of eligible candidates, which is forwarded to a search committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary. After careful evaluation, shortlisted names are submitted to the Prime Minister-led committee for final approval.
The government had informed the Supreme Court on 1 December 2025 that the committee would convene on 10 December to recommend names for the vacant positions. This meeting is expected to pave the way for filling the long-standing vacancies at the Central Information Commission, strengthening the institution’s role in upholding transparency and accountability in governance.
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