Former Andhra Bank CEO Suresh Patel is new central vigilance commissioner

The post of the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) had remained vacant for a year during which Patel had been working as the acting CVC since June this year.

Patel was sworn in as the chief of the anti-corruption watchdog by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. “At a ceremony held today at 10.00 hrs at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Suresh N Patel, was sworn in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner. He made and subscribed the oath of his office before the President,” a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also attended the ceremony.

Later in the day, CVC Patel administered the oath of office to Arvind Kumar and Praveen Kumar Srivastava as vigilance commissioners.

With these appointments, the Central Vigilance Commission is at full strength now.

Patel, former managing director and chief executive officer of Andhra Bank, was in April 2020 appointed as the vigilance commissioner. He has been officiating as the CVC since June 24 this year after the completion of term by former IAS officer Sanjay Kothari.

A three-member selection panel led by Prime Minister Modi had met in July to decide on the CVC and vigilance commissioners. The Union home minister and the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha are the two other members. During the meeting, the panel approved the appointments of Patel, Kumar and Srivastava.

Kumar, a retired 1984-batch Indian Police Service officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, served as the 27th director of the Intelligence Bureau from June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022. He joined the Intelligence Bureau as its assistant director in 1991.

Kumar has also served as first secretary in the Indian embassy in Moscow, Russia. During his service, he has handled a number of onerous assignments on national security matters, including VIP security, left wing extremism and Jammu and Kashmir, a personnel ministry statement said.

Srivastava, a 1988 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, retired as secretary (coordination), Cabinet Secretariat on January 31, 2022.

During his tenure as special secretary and additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, he handled matters relating to cadre management of Indian Police Service, personnel and general administration of Central Armed Police Forces and Union Territories.

Srivastava also assisted the government in negotiations relating to trade in services under the World Trade Organisation as director/deputy secretary, department of commerce. He also served as chief vigilance officer in RITES Ltd and as joint secretary and mission director, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The tenure of a CVC and vigilance commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years.