Former bureaucrat Raj Kumar Goyal sworn in as new CIC, Pg5

Key Highlights:

• Raj Kumar Goyal, a retired IAS officer, was sworn in as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on December 15, 2025.
• The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The post of CIC had been vacant since September 2025.
• Eight Information Commissioners were also appointed, including Surendra Singh Meena, Swagat Das, and Jaya Varma Singh.

Detailed Insights:

• Raj Kumar Goyal is a 1990-batch IAS officer who retired as Secretary, Department of Justice in August 2025.
• The appointment was made based on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
• The Leader of Opposition recorded his dissent due to the lack of representation from SC, ST, OBC, EBC, and minority communities among the shortlisted candidates.
• The term of the CIC is three years, as per the rules of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Chief Information Commissioner (CIC): The head of the Central Information Commission, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the RTI Act.
• Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005: Legislation that provides citizens access to government information, promoting transparency and accountability.
• Central Information Commission: An apex body established by the Indian government to deal with appeals under the RTI Act.