Delhi, December 15: Chief Information Commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal on Monday administered the oath of office to eight new Information Commissioners - Surendra Singh Meena, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Swagat Das, Sudha Rani Relangi, P. R. Ramesh, Khushwant Singh Sethi, Jaya Varma Sinha and Sanjeev Kumar Jindal -, at a swearing-in ceremony organised at the Central Information Commission office.
Earlier today, Goyal took the oath as the Chief Information Commissioner. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to Goyal at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
NEW INFORMATION COMMISSIONERS:
1. Surendra Singh Meena, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Jharkhand cadre of 1993 batch, held the post of Director General, Shri Krishna Institute of Public Administration, Government of Jharkhand. He holds a degree in Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Metallurgy. He had served as Additional/ Joint Secretary in Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India and held various positions in Government of Jharkhand. He has a rich experience in policy formulation, legislation and scheme implementation for the welfare of marginalized sections of society.
2. Ashutosh Chaturvedi, a renowned journalist, held the post of Editor-in-Chief of Prabhat Khabar, Ranchi. He holds a degree in Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Chemistry. He served in different roles such as Executive Editor of Amar Ujala, Producer/ Correspondent with BBC World Service, among others. He possesses 35 years of diverse experience in the field of journalism, both print and electronic media, and editing in India and abroad.
3. Swagat Das, an Indian Police Service officer of Chhattisgarh cadre of 1987 batch, retired from the post of Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat. He holds a degree in Bachelor of Arts, B.A. (Hons.). He also served as Special Secretary, MHA, and in different capacities in Intelligence Bureau. He has more than 37 years of experience in crisis management, intelligence, law & order management and police personnel administration.
4. Rani Relangi, an Indian Legal Service Officer, retired from the post of Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law & Justice. She holds a degree in Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Master of Law (L.L.M.). She is also a Research Scholar from DSNLU. She had served as Legislative Counsel, Ministry of Law & Justice and as Director of Prosecution in Central Bureau of Investigation. She possesses rich experience in drafting legislation, including RTI Act, 2005.
5. P. R. Ramesh, a senior journalist, held the post of Managing Editor, Open magazine, Delhi. He holds a degree in Master of Arts (M.A.) in English. He also served as National Political Editor, and Political Bureau (various roles) in the ‘Economic Times’. Known for in-depth political analysis and insightful commentary on national politics, he has more than 30 years of experience in journalism and editing.
6. Khushwant Singh Sethi, an Indian Forest Service Officer of Tripura cadre of 1990 batch, held the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force & Principal Secretary, Forests. He holds a degree in Master of Science (M.Sc.), Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry and Master of Philosophy (M. Phil.). He possesses more than 34 years of experience in the field of policy formulation, programme implementation, public outreach in forestry, biodiversity, wildlife, and pollution control.
7. Jaya Varma Sinha, an Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) officer of 1988 batch, held the post of Chairman & CEO, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, Government of India. She holds a degree in Master of Arts (M.A.) in Psychology. She served in various capacities on Railways, having vast experience of 36 years in administrative, financial & technical matters including policy formulation related to traffic commercial and transportation.
8. Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, an officer of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) of 1989 batch, held the post of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. He holds a degree in Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) in Accountancy and MBA in Finance. He possesses more than 35 years of experience in various fields of disaster management, census operations, Home affairs, Consumer affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
