New Delhi: Raj Kumar Goyal was administered the ‘oath of office’ as Chief Information Commissioner by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held on Monday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Soon after taking office, Goyal administered the oath of office to eight newly-appointed information commissioners (ICs) at a swearing-in ceremony held at the CIC headquarters.
The newly appointed ICs are Surendra Singh Meena, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Swagat Das, Sudha Rani Relangi, P R Ramesh, Khushwant Singh Sethi, Jaya Varma Sinha and Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, bringing with them wide-ranging experience from administration, journalism, policing, law, forestry, railways and public policy.
Surendra Singh Meena, an IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre (1993 batch), previously served as Director General of the Shri Krishna Institute of Public Administration, Jharkhand. A metallurgical engineer by training, Meena has held key positions in the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Jharkhand government, with extensive experience in policy formulation, legislation and welfare schemes for marginalized sections.
Ashutosh Chaturvedi, a veteran journalist, was Editor-in-Chief of Prabhat Khabar, Ranchi. With an academic background in chemistry, he has over 35 years of experience across print and electronic media, having worked with organisations such as Amar Ujala and the BBC World Service.
Swagat Das, a 1987-batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, retired as Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat. A former Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and a senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau, Das brings over 37 years of experience in intelligence, internal security and crisis management.
Sudha Rani Relangi, an Indian Legal Service officer, retired as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice. Holding degrees in science and law, she has served as Legislative Counsel and as Director of Prosecution in the CBI. She has been closely associated with legislative drafting, including the Right to Information Act, 2005.
P R Ramesh, a senior journalist, previously served as Managing Editor of Open magazine and as National Political Editor at The Economic Times. With more than three decades in journalism, he is known for political reporting and analysis.
Khushwant Singh Sethi, a 1990-batch Indian Forest Service officer of the Tripura cadre, retired as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force. With over 34 years of experience, he has worked extensively in forestry, biodiversity conservation, wildlife management and environmental policy.
Jaya Varma Sinha, an IRMS officer of the 1988 batch, was Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board. With 36 years of experience in the Indian Railways, she has handled a wide range of administrative, financial and policy responsibilities related to transportation and commercial operations.
Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, a 1989-batch officer of the Central Secretariat Service, retired as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. With academic training in commerce, finance and international development, he has over three decades of experience across ministries including Home Affairs, Finance, Food and Public Distribution, and Industry.
The appointments are expected to strengthen the functioning of the Central Information Commission, which plays a pivotal role in enforcing the Right to Information Act and promoting transparency and accountability in public administration.