New Delhi, Jan 07, 2025, Special Correspondent

New Delhi, Jan 7: In a strong observation, the Supreme Court on Tuesday noted that the state information commissions in Tripura and certain other states had become virtually defunct as there were no information commissioners

While directing the Centre to immediately fill posts, the apex court took a dim view of the vacancies in the Central Information Commission and state information commissions and asked for an expeditious selection of information commissioners in the CIC.

"These posts need to be filled at the earliest otherwise what is the use of having the institution, if we don't have people working," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh told the Centre.

The bench directed other states having vacancies in the their respective commissions to notify the list of applicants within one week apart from the composition of the selection committee, criteria to shortlist candidates and the timeline for conducting the interview and appointments.

On November 26, 2024, the bench took a stern view on the matter and asked the Centre and states to apprise it about the steps taken to fill the posts.

It directed the chief secretaries of states to furnish information on the vacancies and asked them to file compliance affidavits over appointments made.

The bench also criticised the appointments being made only from a particular category of candidates in the CIC and SICs, and mulled taking a judicial note on the presence of bureaucrats, and not people from all walks of life, in these commissions.

The apex court said information officers should include people of eminence from varied fields.