Central Vigilance Commission | 19 Jan 2026

Source: PIB 

Why in News? 

The President, exercising powers under Section 4(1) of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, has appointed Shri Praveen Vashista as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). 

What is the Central Vigilance Commission? 

• About: CVC is the apex statutory body mandated to combat corruption and ensure integrity within the Central Government of India, evolving from an executive recommendation to a key pillar of India's vigilance framework. 
• Origin & Evolution: Established in 1964 based on the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee (1962–64), it was initially non-statutory. 
  • It was granted statutory status in 1998 via a Union government ordinance and was formalised under the CVC Act, 2003. 
• Composition & Appointment: It is a multi-member body with a Central Vigilance Commissioner and up to two Vigilance Commissioners. They are appointed by the President based on recommendations from a committee headed by the Prime Minister, with the Union Home Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha as members. They serve a tenure of 4 years or until attaining 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. 
• Independence: The Central Vigilance Commissioner’s salary and service conditions are the same as those of the UPSC Chairman, while a Vigilance Commissioners are the same as those of a UPSC Member; in both cases, these cannot be altered to their disadvantage after appointment. 
  • All expenses of CVC, including salaries, allowances, and pensions of the Central Vigilance Commissioner, the Vigilance Commissioners, and the staff, are charged to the Consolidated Fund of India and are not subject to a Parliamentary vote. 
• Removal: The President can remove the Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner for specific grounds such as insolvency, conviction involving moral turpitude, paid outside employment, infirmity, or prejudicial financial interest.  
  • In addition, the President can remove the Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. In such cases, the matter must be referred to the Supreme Court for an enquiry, and removal can take place only if the Supreme Court upholds the grounds and advises removal. 
• Core Functions: Its mandate includes:  
  • Inquiring into offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against central government employees, All India Services officers, and specified public sector officials. 
  • Exercising superintendence over the CBI in corruption cases and reviewing its investigations. 
  • Acting as the designated agency for whistle-blower complaints under the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers’ (PIDPI) Resolution. 
  • Advising the central government on vigilance matters and reviewing prosecution sanction requests. 
  • Being the notified authority for suspicious transactions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. 
• Post Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 Role: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 empowered the CVC to conduct preliminary inquiries into complaints referred by the Lokpal (national anti-corruption ombudsman) against Group A, B, C, and D employees, and to recommend appointments to key posts in the CBI and the Directorate of Enforcement. 
• Jurisdiction: Extends to All India Services (Central deputation), Group A officers, senior officers in Public Sector Banks, RBI, NABARD, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and insurance companies. 
• Organisational Structure: It operates through a Secretariat, a Chief Technical Examiners’ Wing for technical audits, and Commissioners for Departmental Inquiries (CDIs) to conduct inquiries. 
• Working & Reporting: It has powers of a civil court, advises departments on action, and its advice must be acted upon or rejected with recorded reasons. It submits an annual report to the President, which is placed before Parliament. 
• Vigilance Network: Each ministry has a Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) who acts as a link between the department, CVC, and CBI handling internal vigilance functions.