In a high-stakes, 90-minute meeting marked by disagreements, the three-member committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Wednesday to finalise the names for the post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and eight Information Commissioners. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Sources familiar with the discussion described the meeting as “intense,” with Rahul Gandhi repeatedly seeking more information on the shortlisted candidates and pressing the committee to disclose the criteria used for their selection. Gandhi is learnt to have questioned the transparency of the selection process, especially in light of the over 30,800 pending RTI cases and the Commission operating with only two commissioners.

Failing to get the details he demanded, Gandhi reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the process and submitted a formal dissent note, signalling direct disagreement within the high-level panel.

While the final list of selected candidates has not been made public, officials confirmed that decisions on the CIC and eight commissioners were reached during the meeting. The government had already informed the Supreme Court that the selection would take place this week.

How strained is the Central Information Commission right now?

The Central Information Commission (CIC), the apex body overseeing RTI appeals and complaints, has been functioning with only two commissioners—Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari—leaving eight posts vacant. The Commission has been headless since September 13, when then Chief Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya retired. This marks the seventh time since 2014 that the CIC has been left without a chief.

How many applied for these crucial posts?

According to responses to RTI queries, the government received:

83 applications for the CIC post following a May 21 advertisement

161 applications for the Information Commissioner posts advertised on August 14, 2024

The RTI Act mandates that appointments be made by the President based on recommendations from the committee comprising the Prime Minister.