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Bimal Julka sworn in as CIC; Amita Pandove becomes IC
PTI
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President Ram Nath Kovind (L) greets Bimal Julka after taking oath as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) during a swearing-in-ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (PTI Photo)
President Ram Nath Kovind (L) greets Bimal Julka after taking oath as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) during a swearing-in-ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (PTI Photo)

Information Commissioner Bimal Julka was appointed as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on Friday, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique.

President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Julka as CIC in the Central Information Commission at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it said.

Later, Julka administered the oath of office to Amita Pandove as Information Commissioner, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said without giving any further details.

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With her induction, the total number of information commissioners in the Central Information Commission, including the chief information commissioner, has gone up to seven.

The transparency watchdog was functioning without a chief after Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11. It is operating at a reduced strength of six information commissioners, against the sanctioned strength of 10, excluding the CIC.

After Pandove's appointment, there is a vacancy for four more information commissioners at the panel.

A selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month recommended the names of Julka, a former information and broadcasting secretary, and Pandove for the posts, officials said.

According to rules, the CIC and ICs are appointed by the president on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the prime minister as its head, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and a Union cabinet minister to be nominated by the PM.