Supreme Court Urges Swift Appointments in Central and State Information Commissions

The Supreme Court has pressed the Centre to expedite filling vacancies in the Central and State Information Commissions. Amidst concerns about the Right to Information Act's effectiveness, the court highlighted delays in appointments leading to mounting case backlogs, and urged for diverse appointments beyond bureaucrats.

On Monday, the Supreme Court was informed by the Centre of an upcoming meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 10 to recommend names for the posts of Chief Information Commissioner and information commissioners at the Central Information Commission (CIC). This comes after concerns about filling vacant posts were raised.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the Centre, assured the court that preparations for the meeting are underway, with notices sent to committee members. Meanwhile, states have been directed to report on their information commission capacities and existing vacancies.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing petitioners, highlighted that governments have been slow to act, undermining the effectiveness of the Right to Information Act. Bhushan criticized the trend of appointing only bureaucrats, urging broader representation and swift action to clear the backlog of cases.