President appoints Bimal Julka as Chief Information Commissioner

The transparency watchdog has been functioning without a chief after Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11.

Bimal Julka. File

Information Commissioner Bimal Julka was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on Friday, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique.

President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Mr. Julka as the CIC in the Central Information Commission at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it said.

The transparency watchdog has been functioning without a chief after Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11 and is at a reduced strength of six information commissioners, against the sanctioned strength of 11 (including the CIC).

There is a vacancy of five more information commissioners at the commission after Mr. Julka’s appointment as the CIC.