K C Chowdary appointed new CVC

K C Chowdary has been appointed the new Central Vigilance Commissioner.
He is the 1978 IRS officer currently serving as the advisor to the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team on black money.
He was the former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

What is CVC?

The Central Vigilance Commission was set up by the Government in February,1964 on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention  of Corruption, headed by Shri K. Santhanam, to advise and guide Central Government agencies in the field of vigilance.

What are its functions?

• CVC is the apex vigilance institution, free of control from any executive authority.
• It monitors all vigilance activities under the Central Government.
• It advices various authorities in Central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.

 Structure of CVC:
The commission consists of:

• A Central Vigilance Commissioner – Chairperson
• Not more than two Vigilance Commissioners – Members

Limitations of CVC

• It is only an advisory body. Central Government Departments are free to either accept or reject CVC’s advice in corruption cases.
• CVC does not have powers to register criminal case. It deals only with vigilance or disciplinary cases.
• CVC cannot direct CBI to initiate inquiries against any officer of the level of Joint Secretary and above on its own. Such a permission has to be obtained from the concerned department.
• Appointments to CVC are indirectly under the control of Govt of India. The Committee considers candidates whose names are given by government.