New Delhi, April 25
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had disagreed with the appointment of former IAS officer Raj Kumar Goyal as Chief Information Commissioner during a selection meeting held on December 10, 2025, in Parliament, according to minutes released under the Right to Information Act. The meeting, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi, was part of the process to appoint the CIC and eight information commissioners.
The minutes of the meeting, accessed through an RTI response provided by the Department of Personnel and Training to activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd), show that Home Minister Amit Shah had proposed the name of Raj Kumar Goyal, a retired IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre of the 1990 batch, for the post of Chief Information Commissioner.
According to the records, Rahul Gandhi did not agree with the proposal and instead suggested alternative names for the top post.
In his submission, Gandhi recommended former labour ministry secretary and retired 1991 batch IAS officer Sumita Dawra, citing her extensive experience of over three decades in public policy and development across multiple sectors. He stated that her administrative experience and expertise made her well-suited for the CIC position.
Gandhi also proposed former Odisha High Court Chief Justice S Muralidhar and former NALSAR University Vice Chancellor Faizan Mustafa, placing them in order of preference. He described them as experienced professionals with strong backgrounds in law, justice and public service.
Despite the disagreement, the selection committee proceeded with the appointment of Raj Kumar Goyal as Chief Information Commissioner. The committee is composed of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as provided under the Right to Information Act.
The minutes further show that for the appointment of eight information commissioners, the committee reached consensus on seven names. However, Rahul Gandhi expressed disagreement with one of the proposed names.
The RTI records did not specify which candidate did not receive unanimous approval or whether that individual was ultimately appointed or rejected during the meeting.
The government issued a notification on December 15, 2025, confirming the appointment of Raj Kumar Goyal as CIC along with eight other information commissioners.
The RTI disclosure highlights differences within the selection committee over key appointments to the Central Information Commission, even as the government proceeded with its final decision.
