Central and State governments have been directed to disclose the criteria being followed for appointment of members and chairman of the Central Information Commission as well as the State Information Commissions. The Supreme Court also directed them to disclose information about the candidates shortlisted for these appointments.

 

A bench comprising Justice A K Sikri, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice R Subhash Reddy has ordered, “The respondents shall put on the website the names of the Search Committee, the names of the candidates who have been shortlisted as well as the criteria which are followed for selection. 

 

“We may again record the statement of learned Additional Solicitor General that the selection criteria are prescribed in the RTI Act itself which is being followed. Still, that can be put on the website.”

 

Representing the petitioner Anjali Bhardwaj and others, Advocate Prashant Bhushan also submitted that the CIC advertisement does not mention the salary, allowances and other terms of the appointments, despite the fact that the RTI Act stipulates these conditions expressly.  The court agreed to consider this aspect on the next date of hearing which is fixed on January 22.

 

When ASG Pinky Anand detailed the court about the number of applications received against advertised posts of chief information commissioner and information commissioners, the court noted that since three more posts of Information Commissioners were lying vacant, it would be “appropriate to initiate the process of filling up these posts as well by issuing an advertisement at the earliest”.

 

The court also considered affidavits filed by the States of Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Gujarat, and Kerala. These affidavits may be considered during the next hearing on January 22, 2019.