New Delhi: Amita Pandove has assumed charge as Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission (CIC) on March 6. "She was administered the oath of office by Chief Information Commissioner Bimal Julka," said a press release from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) on Friday. The post was vacant after Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11. With her induction, the total number of Information Commissioners in the Central Information Commission (CIC), including Chief Information Commissioner, has gone up to seven.
Amita Pandove is M Phill and PhD in Economics. She has been associated with several governments and private colleges with a total experience of 29 years. She has made a contribution in research by publishing research papers in international and national referred journals along with providing guidance to several Ph D scholars. She had been a member of CAPART (Ministry of Rural Development) for two years. She has been also a member of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) for six years and has experience of 23 years in government service. Apart from this, she has attended many international, national and state-level conferences and is a 2 LT trained NCC officer.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) is a statutory body, set up under the Right to Information Act in 2005. The Commission has certain powers and functions mentioned in sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of the RTI Act, 2005. These broadly relate to adjudication in the second appeal for giving information, direction for record-keeping, suo motu disclosures receiving and enquiring into a complaint on the inability to file RTI etc, the imposition of penalties and monitoring and reporting, including preparation of an annual report. The decisions of the commission are final and binding.