SC directs Centre, states to fill up information commission vacancies
The Supreme Court on Monday urged the central and state governments to fill all the vacant positions in the Central Information Commission (CIC) and State Information Commissions (SICs). An SC bench, consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that if these vacancies remain unfilled, the Right to Information (RTI) Act could become a "dead letter." The directive came as the apex court was hearing a plea filed by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj.
Why does this story matter?
The 2005 Right to Information (RTI) Act mandates timely responses to citizens' requests and queries on government information. The law aims to empower citizens and promote transparency in the functioning of the government. However, as of June 30, 2023, over 3.2 lakh RTI pleas are pending before 27 information commissions across India, per a report by Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS). Moreover, the position of the chief of the CIC remains vacant after YK Sinha's retirement earlier this month.
SC demands information from all states
The Supreme Court also directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to gather data from all states on various aspects, such as the approved capacity of information commissions, open positions, and the total number of unresolved cases. It has given the Centre and states three weeks for this information to be submitted and scheduled a hearing on the matter after that. This order follows its acknowledgment that SICs in states like Jharkhand, Tripura, and Telangana have become inoperative.
RTI activist alleges non-compliance with 2019 SC judgment
Bhardwaj claimed the 2019 SC ruling on matters like promptly filling CIC and SIC vacancies has not been adhered to by the Centre and state governments. "Position of [CIC chief] is vacant for sixth time since [Bharatiya Janata Party] came to power. All [four information commissioners] in CIC are also set to retire this week, making CIC defunct," she tweeted. The SC's latest ruling highlighted the significance of filling these positions to ensure the effectiveness of the 2005 RTI Act.
