As per a Press Release issued by the Press Information Bureau, Shri R. K. Mathur, who is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1977 batch (Tripura cadre), has been appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission, New Delhi.
The above appointment has been made for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of sixty five years, whichever is earlier. In fact, he will have about 3 years’ tenure till he attains the age of 65 years.
Mathur is a former Defence Secretary in the Government of India. His appointment as CIC has been in violation of the convention of appointing the head of the Central Information Commission from among the serving information commissioners.
The post of CIC had fallen vacant after Vijai Sharma completed his tenure on December 1. The selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also comprising of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge had on Wednesday finalised Mathur’s name.
Mathur had earlier been made the Defence Secretary for a fixed two-year term on May 28, 2013.
