NCW says ‘no information’ on the political aliation of its Chairperson, Members
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has said it has no information on whether its Chairperson and Members are members of any political party.
Replying to a query under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Public Information Ocer (PIO) replied that the NCW was a statutory body set up under the NCW Act, 1990, by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The Chairperson and Members of the Commission are nominated by the government of India.
To specic questions, which also included one on whether the Chairperson
and Members could participate in political meetings, and if they should not, then what legal and other action could be taken against them, the PIO replied, “From the records in this oce, no such information is available.”
The petitioner Raj Kapil said that in the last year he had been witnessing one of the NCW Members attending political party events of the BJP. At the time of nomination to the NCW, she was serving as a member of the BJP’s national executive committee.
The NCW had the responsibility to evaluate the progress of the development of women under the Union and State governments. “With this being the mandate, the Chairperson or Member should not be a member of any political party, at least for the term of oce to uphold the principle of neutrality and serving without any fear or favour,” he said. Mr. Kapil said the NCW’s reply stating that “no information is available” would only lead to larger questions on transparency and accountability directly, casting aspersions on the decisions and whether they were serving without political bias.
The Chairperson and Members of the Commission are nominated by the Government of India