Names of new Lokpal chief and Vigilance Commissioner decided, committee headed by PM approved

The names of the new commissioner of Vigilance and the head of the Lokpal have been finalised by the committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Media reports state that Justice AM Khanwilkar, a former Supreme Court judge, has been chosen by the committee to lead the Lokpal and that AS Rajeev, the Management Director (MD) of the Bank of Maharashtra, has been approved to serve as the Vigilance Commissioner. It hasn't been formally confirmed yet, though.

At present, Justice Pradeep Kumar Mohanty serves as the Lokpal's acting chairman. However, there is a vacancy in one of the two positions of Vigilance Commissioner. We would like to inform you that AS Rajeev is the Bank of Maharashtra's Managing Director at the moment. In July 2020, Justice Khanwilkar announced his retirement from the Supreme Court.

The Lokpal has a Chairman and may have eight members, four of whom are judicial and the rest non-judicial. An order issued by the Personnel Ministry said that the Prime Minister-led selection committee has constituted a search committee to recommend the panel to consider for the post of Chairperson and Members of Lokpal.

It is noteworthy that the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act which envisages the appointment of Lokpal at the Center and Lokayuktas in the states to look into corruption cases against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013. The Lokpal chief and his members are appointed by the President. The selection committee headed by the Prime Minister recommends the names. The committee consists of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the leader of the opposition in the lower house, the Chief Justice of India or a judge.