Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a crucial meeting on Monday to discuss the appointment of the next CBI Director, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna in attendance.
The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi, comes ahead of the completion of CBI Director Praveen Sood’s two-year term on May 25. Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer from Karnataka, took charge of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May 2023, succeeding Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.
Key Discussions in the Meeting
- The three-member selection committee, comprising the PM, CJI, and Leader of Opposition, deliberated on potential candidates for the post.
- The government reportedly pushed for a one-year extension for Praveen Sood, but Rahul Gandhi opposed the proposal.
- The Supreme Court’s 2019 directive mandates that officers with less than six months of service remaining are not eligible for the post.
- The Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, establishes a fixed two-year term for the CBI Director.
The final decision on the next CBI Director is expected soon, as the government weighs its options amid political and administrative considerations.
