A crucial meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to take place today, December 10, 2025, to finalize the appointment of the next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners. The meeting aims to fill the significantly reduced staff at the Central Information Commission, which has been operating with eight commissioner posts vacant since November 2023.

The three-member committee, headed by PM Modi, also includes a Union Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. This committee is responsible for selecting and recommending names for appointment as Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners, according to Section 12 (3) of the Right to Information Act.

The need for a new CIC arose after the previous commissioner, Heeralal Samariya, demitted office on September 13, 2025, upon reaching the age of 65. Samariya had only assumed the role of Chief Information Commissioner on November 6, 2023. The commission has been without a permanent chief for the seventh time since 2014.

The selection process involves inviting particulars of interested persons through advertisements in newspapers and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) website. The DoPT then tabulates these details and sends them to a search committee constituted by the Prime Minister and chaired by the Cabinet Secretary. The names, along with the shortlisted candidates and their applications, are then forwarded to the PM-headed committee for final selection. The individuals recommended by this committee are then appointed by the President.

The Central Information Commission is the highest appellate authority for complaints and appeals related to information requests. It consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and up to ten Information Commissioners who handle complaints and appeals against unsatisfactory orders from government officials. Currently, the commission is functioning with only two Information Commissioners, Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari.

The government informed the Supreme Court on December 1 that the Prime Minister Modi-led panel would meet on December 10 to select and recommend names for these posts. The Supreme Court has previously criticized the failure of state governments to fill vacancies, noting that this undermines the right to information. The court has instructed both state and Union governments to take immediate steps to fill vacancies in the State Information Commissions (SICs) and CIC respectively.

The appointment of the new CIC and Information Commissioners is crucial for the effective functioning of the Right to Information Act, ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.