Centre may downgrade the CIC to cabinet secretary level; responsibilities to remain the same

The Centre is considering downgrading the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)’s status to that of a union cabinet secretary in a bid to rejig the Central Information Commission’s terms of conditions of service, Hindustan Times reported on Monday.

The report added that information commissioners deputed to both the Centre and the state will also be reduced to status of secretaries. However, the powers and responsibilities of the commissioners would remain unchanged.

The CICs and ICs are currently on par with the Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioners. Their status in the government is on par with Supreme Court judges.

The Central Information Commission, set up under the Right to Information Act, was established in 2005 as an authorised body. They had strongly stated that political parties should come under the ambit of the RTI. The statement was contradicted by the Election Commission of India, but later the EC stood by the CIC's original statement.

Recently, the CIC has directed the Prime Minister's Office and the External Affairs Ministry to disclose the efforts made to bring back priceless Indian antiquities like Koh-i-noor diamond, golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, jade wine cup of Shahjahan and sword of Tipu Sultan.