CBI Director

Appointment of New CBI Director

• Recently, the 1986-batch, Karnataka cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Praveen Sood has been appointed the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

 Appointment of the CBI director

• The process of appointment was established by the Supreme Court’s Vineet Narain judgement (1997), and the changes made to The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 by The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
  • The Lokpal Act 2013 prescribed that the CBI director shall be appointed on the recommendation of a committee comprising the 
    • Prime Minister, 
    • Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and 
    • Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him.
• About Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
  • It is the premier investigating police agency in India. 
  • It is an elite force playing a major role in preservation of values in public life and in ensuring the health of the national economy. 
• Origin:
  • It has its origin in the Special Police Establishment set up in 1941 to probe bribery and corruption during World War II.
  • It was set up by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1963 after Santhanam committee recommendation.
• Ministry:
  • It functions under the Department of Personnel, Ministry of Personnel, Pension & Public Grievances, Government of India.
• Functions:
  • CBI was established by the Government of India with a view to investigate serious crimes related to the defence of India, corruption in high places, serious fraud, cheating, and embezzlement and social crime, particularly hoarding, black marketing, and profiteering in essential commodities, having all-India and inter-state ramifications.
  • It is also the nodal police agency in India that coordinates investigations on behalf of Interpol member countries.
• Jurisdiction: 
  • Section 6 of the DPSE Act authorises the central government to direct CBI to probe a case within the jurisdiction of any state on the recommendation of the concerned state government. 
  • The courts can also order a CBI probe, and even monitor the progress of investigation.
  • CBI can suo-moto take up investigation of offences only in the Union Territories.
• Conviction rate: 
  • According to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) annual report, its conviction rate is as high as 65 to 70%, which is comparable to the best investigation agencies in the world.

Practice Questions for Prelims

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) comes under the administrative control of:
a) Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Ministry of Personnel
b) Ministry of Home Affairs
c) Ministry of Defense
d) None of the above

Mains Practice Question

In recent years the credibility of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been called into question. Explain the reasons and suggest the steps that need to be taken to keep its credibility intact. 

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