[Central Vigilance Commission] SC Issues Notice to Centre on Need for Prompt, Transparent Appointments

Central Vigilance Commission Insider

Prerna Gala

Published on: September 5, 2022 at 21:26 IST

For Central Vigilance Commission, a notice has been issued to the central government by the Supreme Court regarding a petition seeking timely, transparent appointments.

In the case of Common Cause vs. Union of India, asking for the prompt and transparent filling of long-standing vacancies in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the Supreme Court on Monday sent notice to the Central government.

A petition brought by the NGO Common Cause through attorney Prashant Bhushan resulted in notice being given by a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S. Oka.

According to the petition, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) published job advertisements in July 2020 and May 2021, respectively, for the positions of Vigilance Commissioner and Central Vigilance Commissioner. But no appointments were booked as a result of these ads.

The argument argued that until such an appointment was made in June 2021, the last surviving vigilance commissioner, Suresh N. Patel, was permitted to serve as the central vigilance commissioner.

It was stated that the Supreme Court had given instructions to maintain transparency and integrity in the selection of CVC members in its 2011 ruling in Centre for PIL vs. Union of India. The petitioner claimed that the Central government was not following these instructions by failing to name members in a timely and transparent way.

The Supreme Court’s directive that pertinent information on the appointment of members of the Central Information Commission and the State Information Commissions must be made public was further emphasised in the case of Anjali Bhardwaj vs. Union of India.

Along similar lines, a request has been made for all information and documentation pertaining to the Central Vigilance Commission’s upcoming hiring process to be made public.

The petition further requested that the Centre be instructed to act promptly to fill the positions of Central Vigilance Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioner in accordance with the advertisements that were published in May 2021 and July 2020, respectively.

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