SDPI Urges Immediate CIC Appointments to Save RTI Framework

Adv. Sharfuddin Ahmad, National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India, strongly condemns the Central Government’s persistent failure to fill eight vacant Information Commissioner posts in the Central Information Commission (CIC), nearly a year after inviting applications on August 14, 2024. As National Vice President, I am appalled by this deliberate inaction, which undermines the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005—a cornerstone of democratic transparency.

The CIC, tasked with ensuring citizens’ access to public information, is crippled with only two of ten commissioners, leading to a backlog of nearly 23,000 cases. This paralysis denies justice to countless citizens seeking accountability. The government’s refusal to comply with the Supreme Court’s 2019 and 2025 directives for transparent, time-bound appointments is a blatant assault on democratic principles. The Department of Personnel and Training’s (DoPT) secrecy over the 161 applications received and its failure to provide a clear appointment timeline expose a calculated intent to weaken the RTI framework.

Adding insult to injury, the exclusion of the Leader of Opposition from meaningful participation in the selection process further erodes trust in governance. The looming retirement of the Chief Information Commissioner by December 2025 threatens to render the CIC nearly defunct. This is not mere negligence—it is a systematic effort to stifle transparency and shield corruption.

The SDPI demands immediate appointments to the CIC, full compliance with Supreme Court orders, and transparency in the selection process. We stand with RTI activists and citizens in defending the right to information. The government must act now to restore the CIC’s integrity and uphold India’s democratic values.