Shri Raj Kumar Goyal has been appointed as the Chief information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission today and assumed his office on 15.12.2025. In the presence of two incumbent Information Commissioners, i.e., Smt. Anandi Ramalingam and Shri Vinod Kumar Tiwari, he administered the oath of office to eight new Information Commissioners, i.e., Shri Surendra Singh Meena, Shri Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Shri Swagat Das, Ms. Sudha Rani Relangi, Shri P. R. Ramesh, Shri Khushwant Singh Sethi, Ms. Jaya Varma Sinha and Shri Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, at a swearing-in ceremony organized in Central Information Commission on 15.12.2025.

The brief background of eight new Information Commissioners is as under:

Shri 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.

Shri 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.         

Shri 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.

Ms Sudha 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.             

Shri 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.

Shri 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.

Ms. 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.                                                                              

Shri 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.), MBA in Finance and MA in International Development Policy from Duke University. He possesses more than 34 years of rich experience in various fields such as disaster management in Home Affairs; Financial Services; Economic Affairs; Food & Public Distribution; Industry Policy & Promotion and DoPT, etc.                                                              

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NKR/AK

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