K V Chowdary appointed new CVC; Vijai Sharma named new chief information commissioner

K V Chowdary, former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), has been appointed the new central vigilance commissioner. Vijai Sharma has been named the new chief information commissioner. 

K V Chowdary is the first non-IAS to head the Central Vigilance Commission. 

Chowdary and Sharma's appointments were finalized in June 1 meeting of the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Jitendra Singh as well as Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge. 

Chowdary, a 1978 batch Indian Revenue Service officer who is currently serving as advisor to the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team on black money, is the first non-IAS to head the Central Vigilance Commission. 

Vijai Sharma is a 1974 batch IAS officer who superannuated as environment secretary. He has been serving in the commission as information commissioner since 2012. His appointment is in keeping with the pattern where the senior-most information commissioner has been appointed the chief. 

In CVC, the term of central vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar had ended on September 28 last year, while vigilance commissioner J M Garg completed his tenure on September 7. Rajiv, a 1975 batch IPS officer, is the only vigilance commissioner at present. The posts of another VC and the CVC have been vacant for almost a year. Sources said the government had received about 135 applications for the CVC's posts. 

The government has come under severe flak from the opposition for the vacant CIC and CVC posts in the last few months with Congress president Sonia Gandhi even raising the issue in Parliament recently. 

The appointment of CVC was possible after the apex court earlier this month lifted a five-month-old stay imposed after an NGO approached the court alleging lack of transparency in appointment process. The SC had on December 17 last year asked the government to furnish details of the appointment procedure and not to appoint CVC or VC without its approval.

- The Times of India