The Central Vigilance
Commission was set up by the Government in February, 1964 on the
recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by Shri K.
Santhanam, to advise and guide Central Government agencies in the field of
vigilance. Nittoor Srinivasa Rau, was selected as the first Chief Vigilance
Commissioner of India.
The CVC is headed by a
Central Vigilance Commissioner who is assisted by two Vigilance Commissioners.
The Central Vigilance Commission has its own Secretariat, Chief Technical
Examiners’ Wing (CTE) and a wing of Commissioners for Departmental Inquiries
(CDI).
CVC is conceived to be
the apex vigilance institution, free of control from any executive authority,
monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising
various authorities in Central Government organizations in planning, executing,
reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.
The CVC Bill was passed
by both the houses of Parliament in 2003 and the President gave its assent on
September 11, 2003. Thus the Central Vigilance Commission
Act 2003 (No 45 of 2003) came into effect from that date.
The
Commission shall consist of:
·
A
Central Vigilance Commissioner – Chairperson;
·
Not
more than two Vigilance Commissioners – Members.
The Central Vigilance
Commissioner and the Vigilance Commissioners are appointed by the President
after obtaining the recommendation of a Committee consisting of:
·
The
Prime Minister — Chairperson
·
The
Home Minister — Member.
·
The
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha — Member
