Governments’ Struggles with Information Commissions

• Governments in India are uncomfortable with transparency and empowerment associated with information.

• Amendments to dilute its efficacy and attempts to defeat it by delaying or denying information have been common.

• The Supreme Court of India has questioned the large number of vacancies in central and some State Information Commissions.

• There are eight vacancies in the posts of Information Commissioners in the Central Information Commission (CIC), with 23,000 appeals pending before it.

• The Court has directed the Department of Personnel and Training to specify timelines for completing the selection process and notifying the appointments of the eight Information Commissioners in the CIC.

• States initiating the appointment process without a definite timeline have been asked to complete the process within a specified time.

• Not all governments have complied with a 2019 Court verdict calling for proactive efforts to fill up vacancies in time by advertising them early.

• The CIC’s post was stripped of its autonomy and not much has been done to appoint candidates from various walks of life.