Union Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar appointed as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner

Union Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, a 1972-batch Haryana cadre IAS officer was on 2 July 2011 appointed as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). The appointment followed quashing of the appointment of P J Thomas as CVC by the Supreme Court in March 2011. His name was selected from the four short-listed names by the three-member high-level committee comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. Kumar will have a three-year term as he will have to demit office on attaining age of 65 years under the CVC Act.

An alumnus of IIT-Delhi, Kumar has held several important positions, both in Haryana as well as the Centre, including Secretary, Defence Production, and Secretary, Disinvestment, Chairman, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), as well as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

He succeeded P J Thomas as the CVC. Thomas was appointed in September 2010. The Supreme Court had observed that the PM-headed committee had not considered the relevant documents and that it had ignored earlier recommendations for action against Thomas on the palmolein scam in Kerala listed by the Department of Personnel and Training.

A Supreme Court bench while declaring Thomas’s appointment as CVC invalid in March 2011 had issued a set of guidelines to the government for the appointment of CVC. The new selection guidelines spelt out for selecting the CVC reflected a bias against the selection of a non-bureaucrat.

The balance was tilted strongly in favour of a civil servant as the power to recommend any person for the post was vested solely in the hands of a secretary to the government. The new guidelines also mention that the personnel ministry cannot entertain any application directly as incomplete details on any applicant cannot be afforded.

If any (private) person requires to be considered, the same should be forwarded by the administrative ministry concerning that field after the case is adequately processed. Any private person who was to be recommended needed experience in the field of finance, insurance, banking, law and vigilance/investigations. Moreover, the secretary to the government was also required to ensure his merit and integrity.

Kumar was chosen as the CVC - a post on which he can continue for a four-year fixed term or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Kumar will be the CVC till 29 September 2014, when he turns 65. The new guidelines for selection of CVC stipulate that a recommended candidate must have a minimum tenure of three years.