India’s top anti-corruption watchdog for central government employees has no power to prosecute anyone. This article covers the Central Vigilance Commission — what it can actually do, and what it can’t.
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Central Vigilance Commission
India’s top anti-corruption watchdog has no power to prosecute anyone
1964
The CVC is established
Set up on the Santhanam Committee’s recommendation, with no statutory backing yet.
2003
Gains statutory status
The CVC Act closes a 39-year gap, echoing SEBI‘s own delayed path to statutory powers.
By Design
Oversees the CBI, but stays advisory
Exercises superintendence over CBI corruption probes, yet cannot prosecute anyone itself.
3 Aug 2026
A.S. Rajeev takes charge
Becomes acting Central Vigilance Commissioner, succeeding Praveen Kumar Srivastava.
Advisory, Not Enforcement
The CVC’s real influence depends entirely on whether the government of the day acts on its recommendations — a structural limitation critics regularly point to.
Must Know
- The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was set up in 1964, on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee. It became a statutory body only later, through the CVC Act, 2003.
- The CVC is a multi-member body: a Central Vigilance Commissioner (its chairperson), plus up to two Vigilance Commissioners.
- The President appoints CVC members, on the recommendation of a three-member Selection Committee: the Prime Minister (chair), the Union Home Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
- Members serve a term of four years, or until age 65, whichever comes first. They cannot be reappointed to the Commission afterward.
Good to Know
- The CVC exercises superintendence over the CBI’s anti-corruption investigations. It also gives vigilance advice to ministries, departments, and public sector undertakings.
- Removing a CVC member requires the President to act, on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. But this can only happen after the Supreme Court holds an inquiry and confirms it — the President is bound by that advice.
- The CVC’s jurisdiction is narrower than the Lokpal’s. The CVC covers central government employees and PSU staff, while the Lokpal also covers some categories of politicians. The Lokpal can refer cases down to the CVC for a preliminary inquiry.
- The CVC’s own powers stay advisory. It cannot prosecute anyone itself — actual enforcement stays with the concerned department, or with the CBI.
Great to Know
- The CVC’s creation predates its statutory status by nearly 40 years. This mirrors a broader pattern in India’s institutional history — SEBI, for instance, existed from 1988 but only got statutory powers in 1992.
- The CVC’s own Selection Committee shares two members with the separate committee that picks the CBI Director. That committee swaps the Home Minister for the Chief Justice of India instead — a deliberate difference, reflecting the CBI’s own need for more distance from the executive.
- Because the CVC’s powers stay advisory, its real influence depends on whether the government of the day actually acts on its recommendations. This is a structural limitation critics regularly point to in India’s wider anti-corruption architecture.
Test Yourself
Current Affairs
- A.S. Rajeev, former CEO of Bank of Maharashtra, took charge as acting Central Vigilance Commissioner on 3 August 2026. He succeeds Praveen Kumar Srivastava, whose term as CVC had ended. (Source: ANI)
- Praveen Vashisht, a 1991-batch IPS officer, was appointed a Vigilance Commissioner in December 2025. He assumed charge on 16 January 2026. (Source: CVC)
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