The Search Committee for Lokpal headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has invited applications for the purpose appointment of Chairperson and Members of Lokpal. According to Advertisement released by the Department of Personnel and Training, The last date for the receipt of applications/nominations is 22nd February 2019 – 05.00 PM.
The Application received after this date will not be entertained, said the Advertisement.
For the appointment as the chairman, a person who is or has been Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge is eligible to apply. While for the appointment as the Judicial member, a person should be a Supreme Court Judge or has been the Chief Justice of a High Court.
According to rules, there is a provision for a chairperson and a maximum of eight members in the Lokpal. Of these, four need to be judicial members.
The Advertisement was released days after the Selection Committee held a meeting.
The Central Government had in September last year constituted an 8 member search Committee comprising – former SC Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai (Chairperson of the Committee), former chief of State Bank of India (SBI) Arundhati Bhattacharya, former ISRO head A S Kiran Kumar, former Allahabad High Court Judge Sakha Ram Singh Yadav, Prasar Bharati chairperson A Surya Prakash, former Gujarat Police chief Shabbirhusein S Khandwawala, retired IAS officer (Rajasthan cadre) Lalit K Panwar, and former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar.
Earlier on January 4, the Top Court has asked the Centre Government to put on record the steps taken to appoint Lokpal. The Court had in January also expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the progress.
Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, ‘what all have you done till date. So much time is being taken’ when Attorney General asserted that many steps have been taken in the direction. When the attorney general reiterated that several steps have been taken, the bench directed to “bring everything on record what you have done since September 2018”.