Thread by @barandbench

Supreme Court bench led by Justice Abdul Nazeer hears a plea seeking for directions to fulfil vacancies for Information Commissioners in the Central Information Commission

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Prashant Bhushan: This matter is for filling the posts of Information Commissioners. Notice was issued in November 2019
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Bhushan: criteria for selecting people for search committee should be made public. but it was not given to the leader of opposition too

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Bhushan: There many vacancies in Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka and west bengal. let all states file status reports with regard to vacancies

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Justice Nazeer: all state governments are directed to file latest status and compliance reports within a period of 6 weeks from today

Bhushan: it is a very long time now. COVID second wave is almost over.

Justice Nazeer modifies order to 4 weeks

Justice Nazeer: The updated report by the Centre to be furnished stating what is the present status of vacancies. petitioner is also permitted to file an additional affidavit
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Adv Bhushan: Despite repeated directions, there are still 3 vacancies. West Bengal etc. Not only that, what they have done is quite shocking. The government should have put the present status on record before court

. @pbhushan1 : Some journalist, basically a party journalist was appointed as an Information Commissioner. What was the criteria ?

ASG Madhavi Divan: They cannot make accusations or call the members bogus journalists. The maximum strength is up to 10 members.

ASG Divan clarifies that there are 7 members in CIC now apart from the chairperson

Supreme Court asks the Centre to place the updated status report with regard to vacancies before the court

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