Retired IAS Officer Sanjay Kothari appointed as Central Vigilance Commissioner

On April 25, 2020, retired IAS officer Sanjay Kothari was sworn in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Highlights

Mr Kothari acted as the secretary to the President of India. He was replaced by Mr Kapil Dev Tripathi on April 20, 2020. Mr Tripathi is a 1980 batch IAS officer. He was appointed as CVC in February, 2020.

About CVC appointment

Mr Sanjay Kothari was recommended by a high-level selection panel. The panel was headed by Prime Minister. The CVC is appointed by President based on the recommendation of the committee. The committee consists of Leader of Opposition, Minister of Home Affairs.

Role of CVC

The Central Vigilance Commissioner carries out corruption investigations against government officials. However, such investigations can be carried out only after permission of the Government. The CVC cannot direct the CBI officials to initiate inquiries. The CVC does not have powers to register criminal cases, rather can deal only with vigilance and disciplinary cases.

Vigilance Awareness Week

The Vigilance Awareness Week is celebrated every year in the last week of October. This is because it coincides with the birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2020