Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)- UPSC Notes
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is an apex governmental entity in India, with its primary role being to advance integrity, transparency, and accountability within the public administration of the country.
The Commission was established in 1964 by an executive resolution of the central government (Under the Ministry of Home Affairs) on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee on the Prevention of Corruption. Later, it was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel.
In 2003, the Parliament enacted the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003 to grant statutory status to the Commission.
It has the status of an autonomous body entrusted with monitoring all vigilance activities in union government bodies. It provides guidance to these organisations in the planning, execution, review, and reform of their vigilance-related activities.
Composition of the Central Vigilance Commission
The Central Vigilance Commission consists of:
- A Central Vigilance Commissioner as Chairman
- Not more than 2 Vigilance Commissioners as members
Secretariat and Wings of the CVC |
| The CVC has its own secretariat. Besides this, it has two wings;
a) Chief Technical Examiners’ (CTE) Wing: It is the technical wing of the CVC. The organisation performs the following functions:
b) Commissioners for Departmental Inquiries (CDI) Wing: It conducts inquiries in departmental proceedings initiated against public servants. |
Qualification of Chief Vigilance Commissioner and other Vigilance Commissioner’s
The Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and other Vigilance Commissioner’s (VCs) are appointed amongst the persons who are:
- Retired or serving officer of All India Service or any civil service of the Union having knowledge and experience in matters related to vigilance, policy-making and administration, including police administration or
- Persons who have served or are serving in a corporation established under any central act or a government company owned or controlled by the central government, who possess expertise and background in finance, including insurance and banking, law, vigilance, and investigations.
Related FAQs of Central Vigilance Commission
The CVC is India’s apex anti-corruption watchdog. It was initially set up in 1964 through an executive resolution based on the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee to tackle corruption. It got statutory status in 2003 under the Central Vigilance Commission Act.
Yes, the CVC is an autonomous statutory body, but not a constitutional one. It is not directly under any ministry and operates independently to monitor and guide vigilance activities across central government organisations. However, its powers are largely advisory.
The President of India appoints the CVC and other Vigilance Commissioners on the recommendation of a high-powered committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The CVC supervises corruption cases handled by the CBI, advises the government on vigilance matters, monitors disciplinary proceedings, protects whistle-blowers under the PIDPI Resolution, and helps review pending sanction cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CVC can only advise and supervise investigations; it cannot file criminal cases directly. Also, it needs permission to act against senior officials (joint secretary level and above), which sometimes limits its effectiveness.
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