Supreme Court Takes Action on Widespread Vacancies in Information Commissions Across India.


26 November 2024 Administrative Law >> Constitution & Law Procedure  

On October 30, 2023, the Court was informed that only four Information Commissioners were working at the Central Information Commission (CIC), with seven vacancies. The remaining four were due to retire by November 6, 2023. A status update provided by the petitioners on November 11, 2024, revealed that only three Information Commissioners remained, with eight vacancies.

The Court granted two weeks for the government to file a report detailing actions taken to fill these vacancies at the CIC. Additionally, the petitioners reported numerous vacancies across various State Information Commissions, with states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu also facing significant shortages of Information Commissioners.

 
 

In some states—Jharkhand, Telangana, and Tripura—State Information Commissions have been defunct for years due to lack of appointments. Jharkhand cited the absence of a leader of opposition until October 2023 as a reason for the delay, while Telangana and Tripura reported ongoing selection processes.

The Court directed the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand to initiate the appointment process within four weeks and submit a compliance affidavit. Similarly, the states of Telangana and Tripura were instructed to provide detailed status reports, including timelines for completing the selection and appointment process.

Finally, the Court directed all states to submit status reports within two weeks, outlining the number of sanctioned posts of Information Commissioners, the vacancies, and the timelines for filling them. The matter will be heard again on December 17, 2024.