Mere seniority won't make one info panel chief this time

, Oct 25: Giving up convention of appointing the senior-most Information Commissioner as the chief of the Central Information Commission, the Centre on Saturday advertised the position inviting applications from the general public.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the nodal ministry for RTI matters, has invited applications from the people in a given format before November 24.

According to the Act, the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) shall be a person of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass-media or administration and governance.

All the CICs appointed so far have been retired bureaucrats. The position has been lying vacant after Rajiv Mathur, former Chief of Intelligence Bureau, retired on August 22.

In an emailed communication sent to activist Commodore (retd) Lokesh Batra, the DoPT has said the file related to the appointment of the CIC has been pending with the Prime Minister's Office since August 1, 2014.

"Persons fulfilling the criteria for appointment as the Chief Information Commissioner and interested for appointment to the post may send their particulars in enclosed proforma by post to Under Secretary (RTI), Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi or through email [email protected] by November 24, 2014," it said.

PTI