LS Speaker Om Birla inaugurated annual Convention of Central Information Commission

Tags: National Summits National News

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the annual convention of the Central Information Commission on 9 November, 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. 

Important facts

• The Central Information Commission organises an annual conference every year during October-November.

• The title of the convention is Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Citizen-centric Governance through RTI. 

• Transparency, governance, right to information and other important issues will be discussed in the convention.

• This conference also contributes significantly in widening and deepening the RTI regime.

• Right to information means participation of people in the process of governance and administration which becomes inevitable.

Right to Information Act, 2005

• The Act makes it mandatory to respond to citizens' queries for government information in a timely manner.

• Its main objective is to empower citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the working of government, prevent corruption and work for the people in a democracy.

Central Information Commission (CIC)

• It was established by the Central Government in the year 2005 under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. It is not a constitutional body.

• It consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and a maximum of ten Information Commissioners.

• The commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister as the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

• The Commission inquiries from the concerned person in case of complaints received on any subject under the Right to Information Act, 2005.