Question map
Which of the following statements about the Right to Information Act, 2005 is/are correct? 1. There shall be not more than twelve (12) Information Commissioners. 2. The Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years. 3. The Chief Information Commissioner is eligible for reappointment.
Explanation
The Right to Information Act, 2005, stipulates that the Central Information Commission shall consist of the Chief Information Commissioner and such number of Central Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary. Therefore, the total number of commissioners, including the Chief, cannot exceed eleven, making the statement regarding a limit of twelve incorrect. Regarding tenure, the original 2005 Act specified a five-year term, but the RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019, changed this to a term prescribed by the Central Government, which is currently three years [1][2]. Furthermore, the Act explicitly states that the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners are not eligible for reappointment [2][3]. Since all three statements provided in the question are factually incorrect based on the current legal framework and the specific numerical limits of the Act, none of the options provided (1, 2, or 3) are technically correct in their entirety, but statement 1 is the closest to being a 'limit' though the number is wrong.
Sources
- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 63: State Information Commission > RTI AMENDMENT ACT, 2019 > p. 498
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 62: Central Information Commission > TENURE AND SERVICE CONDITIONS > p. 493
- [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 63: State Information Commission > TENURE AND SERVICE CONDITIONS > p. 496