Top Court Urges Timely CIC and SIC Appointments Amidst Growing Transparency Concerns

In a significant move, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to issue an order compelling the public disclosure of candidates shortlisted for the roles of chief information commissioner and information commissioners at the Central Information Commission. However, the court did direct several states, including Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh, to urgently address the vacancies in their respective state information commissions.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing petitioners Anjali Bhardwaj and others, criticized the government's handling of the Right to Information Act, arguing that the lack of appointments renders the commissions ineffective. Bhushan emphasized the substantial backlog of nearly 30,000 cases at the Central Information Commission due to these vacancies.

The Additional Solicitor General, representing the Centre, noted that the search committee has proposed candidates and is awaiting approval from a panel led by the prime minister. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's directive aims to ensure compliance with previous orders mandating the expedient filling of these crucial positions, reflecting ongoing concerns about transparency and governance.