The Central Information Commission

Constitution of Central Information Commission 

12. (1) The Central Government shall, by notification in the  Official Gazette, constitute a body to be known as the Central Information Commission to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to, it under this Act.

(2) The Central Information Commission shall consist of

(a)   the Chief Information Commissioner; and

(b)   such number of Central Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary.

(3) The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of 

(i)   the Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee;

(ii)  the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; and

(iii) a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister. Explanation. For the purposes of removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that where the Leader of Opposition in the House of the People has not been recognised as such, the Leader of the single largest group in opposition of the Government in the House of the People shall be deemed to be the Leader of Opposition.

(4) The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the Central Information Commission shall vest in the Chief  Information Commissioner who shall be  assisted by the Information Commissioners and may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things which may be exercised or done by the Central Information Commission autonomously without being subjected to directions by any other authority under this Act.

(5) The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be persons 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.

(6) The Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union territory, as the case may be, or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.

(7) The headquarters of the Central Information Commission shall be at Delhi and the Central Information Commission may, with the previous approval of the Central Government, establish offices at other places in India.

Term of office and conditions of service.

13. (1) The Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from  the  date  on  which  he  enters  upon  his  office  and  shall  not  be  eligible  for reappointment:

Provided that no Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office as such after he has attained the age of sixty-five years.

(2) Every Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever  is  earlier,  and  shall  not  be  eligible  for  reappointment  as  such  Information Commissioner:

Provided that every Information Commissioner shall, on vacating his office under this sub-section be eligible for appointment as the Chief Information Commissioner in the manner specified in sub-section (3) of section 12:

Provided further that where the Information Commissioner is appointed as the Chief Information  Commissioner,  his  term  of  office  shall  not  be  more  than  five  years  in aggregate as the Information Commissioner and the Chief Information Commissioner.

(3)  The  Chief  Information  Commissioner  or  an  Information  Commissioner  shall before  he enters upon  his  office make and subscribe before the President or some other person appointed by him in that behalf, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the First Schedule.

(4) The Chief  Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner may, at any time, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign from his office:

Provided that the Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner may be removed in the manner specified under section 14. 

                                                (5) The salaries and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service of -  

(a)   the Chief Information Commissioner shall be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner;

(b)   an  Information  Commissioner  shall  be  the  same  as  that  of  an  Election Commissioner:

Provided   that   if   the   Chief   Information   Commissioner   or   an   Information Commissioner, at the time of his appointment is, in receipt of a  pension, other than  a disability or wound pension, in respect of any previous service under the Government of India or under the Government of a State, his salary in respect of the service as the Chief Information  Commissioner  or  an  Information  Commissioner  shall  be  reduced  by  the amount of that pension including any portion of pension which was commuted and pension equivalent of other forms of retirement benefits excluding pension equivalent of retirement gratuity:

Provided  further  that  if  the  Chief  Information  Commissioner  or  an  Information Commissioner if, at  the time of his appointment  is, in receipt of retirement benefits in respect  of any previous service rendered in a Corporation established by or  under  any Central Act or State Act or a Government company owned  or controlled by the Central Government or the State  Government, his  salary in  respect of the service as the Chief Information  Commissioner  or  an  Information  Commissioner  shall  be  reduced  by  the amount of pension equivalent to the retirement benefits:

Provided also that the salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners shall not be varied to their disadvantage after their appointment.

(6) The Central Government shall provide the Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners with such officers and employees as may be necessary for the efficient performance of their functions under this Act, and the salaries and allowances payable to and the terms and conditions  of service  of the officers and  other employees appointed for the purpose of this Act shall be such as may be prescribed.

Removal of Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioner. 

14.  (1)  Subject   to   the  provisions  of  sub-section  (3),  the  Chief   Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner shall be removed from his office only by order  of  the  President  on  the  ground  of  proved  misbehavior  or  incapacity  after  the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the President, has, on inquiry, reported that the Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner, as the case may be, ought on such ground be removed.

(2) The President may suspend from office, and if deem necessary prohibit also from attending the  office during inquiry, the Chief Information Commissioner or  Information Commissioner in respect of whom a reference has been made to the Supreme Court under sub-section (1) until the President has passed orders on receipt of the report of the Supreme Court on such reference.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the President may by order remove from office the Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner if the Chief Information Commissioner or a Information Commissioner, as the case may be,

(a)   is adjudged an insolvent; or

(b)   has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the President, involves moral turpitude; or

(c)   engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or

(d)   is,  in  the  opinion  of  the  President,  unfit  to  continue  in  office  by  reason  of infirmity of mind or body; or

(e)   has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions  as  the   Chief Information    Commissioner    or  a   Information Commissioner.

(4) If the Chief Information Commissioner or a Information Commissioner in any way, concerned or interested in any contract or agreement made by or on behalf of the Government of India or participates in any way in the profit thereof or in any benefit or emolument arising there from otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company, he shall, for the purposes of sub-section(1), be deemed to be guilty of misbehavior.