New Delhi (03.08.2022): Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N Patel was sworn in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), on Wednesday, by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
Later in the day, CVC Patel administered the oath of office to former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Arvind Kumar (Retd IPS:1984:AM) and Praveen Kumar Srivastava (retd IAS:1988:AM) as the vigilance commissioners, thus giving the Commission its full strength.
The post of the chief of the Central Vigilance Commission, the probity watchdog, had been lying vacant for about a year and Patel had been working as the acting CVC since June this year.
Patel's appointment as the CVC was cleared by a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Patel, a former MD & CEO of Andhra Bank, was in April 2020 appointed as the vigilance commissioner. He has been officiating as the CVC since June 24 this year after the completion of the term of former IAS officer Sanjay Kothari as CVC. Arvind Kumar joined the Intelligence Bureau as its assistant director in 1991.
Meanwhile, vigilance commissioner Arvind Kumar, a recipient of the prestigious Indian Police Medal for meritorious service in 2003 and the President's Police Medal for distinguished service in 2009, has also served as First Secretary in the Embassy of India, Moscow, Russia. During his service period, he has handled several onerous assignments on national security matters, including VIP security, left-wing extremism and Jammu and Kashmir.
Praveen Kumar Srivastava, the other vigilance commissioner, is a 1988 batch (retired) IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre and retired as secretary (Coordination), Cabinet Secretariat on January 31, 2022.
As special secretary and additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Srivastav handled matters relating to cadre management of the Indian Police Service, personnel and general administration of central armed police forces and Union Territories.
Srivastava has been instrumental in assisting the government in negotiations relating to trade in services under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as director/deputy secretary Department of Commerce. He also served as chief vigilance officer in RITES Ltd and as joint secretary and Mission Director, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
It may be noted that the Commission is headed by a Central Vigilance Commissioner and can have two vigilance commissioners with a tenure of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years.
