Samariya: New CIC Samariya is first Dalit to hold post | India News

NEW DELHI: Headless for over a month, the Central Information Commission on Monday got a new chief as retired IAS officer and former information commissioner Heeralal Samariya was administered the oath by President Droupadi Murmu. Two new information commissioners Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari were also administered oath hours later.
Samariya, is the first Dalit to have been appointed to the post.A 1985-batch IAS officer of Telangana cadre, Samariya retired after serving as the labour and employment secretary at the Centre. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He was appointed information commissioner in 2020 and his term was to end on Monday along with two other ICs — Saroj Punhani and Uday Mahurkar.

Samairya’s swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi was attended by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Jitendra Singh among others.

The Right To Information law makes it clear that every information commissioner will hold office for three years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier, and will not be eligible for reappointment as IC. However, every IC, on vacating his office, will be eligible for appointment as the chief information commissioner. The law also provides that where the IC is appointed as the chief, his term of office shall not be more than five years in aggregate as IC and CIC.

Anandi Ramalingam, before joining as IC, was holding the post of chairman and managing director, Bharat Electronics Ltd. She holds a bachelors degree in electronics and communication engineering.
Vinod Kumar Tiwari, an Indian Forest Service officer, was principal chief conservator of forests as head of HP forest department in Shimla. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in geology.
Even after these three appointments, the CIC continues to be far from a full strength panel, given that the Right to Information Act provides for a chief commissioner and a maximum of 10 information commissioners as may be deemed necessary.