How to File RTI with CVC for Vigilance Complaint Status and Inquiry Reports

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is an independent statutory body established under the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, to superintend the vigilance administration of the Central Government. CVC receives and examines corruption complaints against Central Government officials, calls for reports from Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in Central organisations, and issues advice or recommendations to the concerned disciplinary authorities regarding the action to be taken — including major penalty proceedings, minor penalty proceedings, or prosecution. CVC is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005.

RTI to CVC is a tool for tracking the administrative/departmental vigilance track — it is not a substitute for a criminal complaint, and it comes with significant statutory limitations on what can be disclosed during an active investigation. This guide explains honestly what is and is not obtainable through RTI to CVC.

What CVC Can and Cannot Provide Through RTI

CVC CAN provide through RTI:

CVC ALMOST ALWAYS WITHHOLDS:

Be realistic: If an inquiry is ongoing, expect most substantive requests to be declined. RTI is most productive for obtaining procedural status, CVC's published governance circulars, and concluded-matter outcomes.

CVC vs CBI vs State Vigilance — Who Handles What

Understanding which authority handles your complaint is essential before filing an RTI. The three tracks are:

Key rule: CVC has no jurisdiction over state government employees. Filing an RTI with CVC about a state government matter will produce a nil response.

CVC-CBI relationship: CVC can refer a case to the CBI for criminal investigation if the matter warrants it. In such cases, CVC handles the departmental track and CBI handles the criminal track simultaneously. RTI to CVC will track only the departmental vigilance advice; CBI's investigation is separately governed by CBI's own RTI policy.

Delhi Police: Delhi Police is a Central Government force under the Ministry of Home Affairs — CVC jurisdiction applies. Complaints about Delhi Police officers go to CVC, not the Delhi Lokayukta.

Practical RTI Uses with CVC

Given the statutory limitations, focus your RTI on information CVC is likely to provide:

1. Confirming receipt and registration of your complaint

If you filed a complaint with CVC and received no acknowledgement, RTI can confirm whether it was received and registered. Provide your approximate date of filing and the name of the organisation/officer complained against.

2. Procedural status of a complaint

RTI can confirm whether CVC called for a report from the concerned CVO, whether the CVO submitted a report, and whether CVC has passed the matter to any further stage — without expecting the full details of what the report said.

3. CVC's advice in a concluded matter

Once an inquiry has been concluded and CVC has issued its advice to the disciplinary authority, RTI can confirm whether that advice was for major penalty, minor penalty, or closure. The full inquiry report will typically still be withheld, but the nature of the advice is a disclosable administrative fact.

4. CVC circulars and governance advisories

CVC issues detailed circulars on procurement integrity, vigilance administration, CVO functioning, and preventive vigilance. These are governance documents and are fully disclosable. RTI is an effective way to obtain the text of applicable circulars if they are not prominently available on cvc.gov.in.

5. Annual Report aggregate data

For research, advocacy, or legal proceedings, RTI can confirm the number of complaints received, disposed, and pending in a given year — verifying figures from CVC's published Annual Reports.

6. Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) details

Each Central organisation has a designated CVO. RTI to CVC can confirm the name and designation of the CVO in a specific organisation. You can then file a separate RTI directly with the CVO's office for organisation-level vigilance information.

Where to File

CVC is headquartered in New Delhi. File on rtionline.gov.in:

1. Select Central Vigilance Commission from the public authority list
2. In your application, provide your complaint reference number (if available), the name of the organisation complained against, and the approximate date of your original complaint
3. Pay ₹10 online via net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. BPL cardholders are exempt — select the BPL option and attach a self-attested copy of your BPL card
4. Submit and note your registration number for tracking

Filing with the CVO's office: If your complaint concerns a specific Central organisation (e.g., a Ministry, CPSU, or Central bank), consider filing a parallel RTI with the CPIO of that organisation's CVO office. CVOs handle internal vigilance proceedings and may be able to confirm the status of departmental action taken within the organisation — information that CVC itself may route back to the organisation anyway.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Complaint Status and Acknowledgement

1. Whether a complaint filed on DD/MM/YYYY against Officer Designation / Organisation Name has been received and registered by CVC — and the reference number assigned
2. Whether CVC has called for a report from the CVO of Organisation Name in connection with the said complaint
3. Whether CVC has issued any advice or recommendation in the above matter — and if the inquiry is concluded, the nature of the advice (major penalty / minor penalty / closure) without the inquiry report

CVC Circulars and Advisories

4. Any CVC circular, advisory, or instruction issued in the last five years on the subject of describe the nature of the irregularity — e.g., procurement integrity / contractor registration / tendering procedure / performance of CVOs — circular number(s), date(s), and if not available on the CVC website, a copy
5. Whether CVC has issued any specific instruction or advisory to Organisation Name or type of organisation — e.g., Central PSUs engaged in infrastructure contracts on vigilance administration in the last three years

Aggregate Data and Published Information

6. The total number of complaints received by CVC, disposed of, and pending as on date / last available financial year, as per CVC's Annual Report or official records
7. Whether CVC's published list of officers against whom major penalty was imposed includes any officer of Organisation Name — and the total number of such entries for that organisation in the most recent available year

CVO Details

8. The name, designation, and official contact details of the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) designated for Organisation Name, as maintained by CVC

Appeals

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If CVC does not respond within 30 days, or the response is incomplete, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at CVC within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable.

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the FAA's response is absent or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days of the FAA's decision (or the date on which it should have been made). CVC is a Central Government statutory body — second appeals go to the CIC, not any State Information Commission.

Note on Section 8 rejections: If CVC rejects your request citing Section 8(1)(h) (impeding investigation) for an ongoing matter, assess whether the investigation is truly ongoing or whether the matter has been concluded. Concluded matters — where CVC has already issued its advice to the disciplinary authority — have a weaker claim to continued exemption under Section 8(1)(h). In such cases, argue in your First Appeal or CIC Second Appeal that the specific information sought (the nature of CVC's final advice) relates to a concluded administrative action and is not exempt.