Now Reading: Activists question eligibility for Maharashtra information commissioner posts
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Activists question eligibility for Maharashtra information commissioner posts
Activists question eligibility for Maharashtra information commissioner posts
RTI activists have questioned the eligibility criteria for four vacant state information commissioner posts in Maharashtra, expressing doubt over whether the requirements ensure a genuinely wide pool of candidates. The state government issued the recruitment notice on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, inviting applications from non-bureaucratic professionals.
Activists, including Vijay Kumbhar, questioned the 15-year experience requirement, the Rs1,000 application fee, and the preference for candidates with senior-level experience in government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, public sector, reputable private organisations and social or charitable institutions. Kumbhar said the Right to Information Act, 2005 does not prescribe 15 years of experience for the post and warned the posts should not become 'rehabilitation centre for bureaucrats after retirement'.
Former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said transparency must be the cornerstone of any appointment and called for a pre-selection committee to scrutinise candidates, with the entire process conducted publicly. Applications must be submitted by 5 November.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The activists' objections centre on whether the criteria will attract independent voices or merely favour retired bureaucrats, a concern that has dogged information commissions nationally. The notice does open the posts to non-bureaucrats, but the 15-year experience bar and preference for senior-level government experience may still narrow the field. Gandhi's call for a pre-selection committee and public interviews addresses the lack of transparency in the selection process itself, but the government's notice does not promise such steps. Whether the actual appointments break from the past pattern will be known only after the 5 November deadline closes and the selection proceeds.
The vacancies have forced existing commissioners to handle multiple divisions, adding pressure on a body already grappling with pendency of appeals.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
