Push for Transparency: Supreme Court Calls for Urgent Filling of Information Commission Vacancies

The Supreme Court of India is set to hear pleas on filling vacancies in Central and State Information Commissions. Activist Anjali Bhardwaj has filed petitions due to significant delays, which have hindered the Right to Information Act. The court demands immediate action from the Centre to resolve vacancies.

The Supreme Court of India will address urgent pleas regarding the filling of vacancies in the Central Information Commission (CIC) and various State Information Commissions (SICs) on Monday. These vacancies have contributed to escalating pendency of cases, jeopardizing the effectiveness of the Right to Information Act.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi will review petitions filed by activist Anjali Bhardwaj and others. The court has previously instructed the Centre to expedite the process of filling these critical vacancies in the CIC and SICs.

The court highlighted alarming inefficiencies and pointed out that states such as Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have nearly full commissions, while others face severe shortages. Activist Bhardwaj argues that the backlog, which includes thousands of unaddressed cases, risks undermining the very purpose of the Right to Information Act.

(With inputs from agencies.)