NEW DELHI: The city government has completed interviews for the post of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson, with around 20 candidates assessed telephonically by the Chief Minister along with senior officials, a source said.
Following the interaction, the government has finalised a shortlist of names, which has now been sent to the Lieutenant Governor. After the L-G, the file will go to the MHA for a final approval.
Meanwhile, a source also shared that the candidates were not sent official emails for an interview; instead, they were contacted telephonically against the laws. Out of the 20 candidates, three were retired IAS officers before the screening committee.
The revival of the selection process came only after sustained pressure from the Delhi High Court. In October this year, the government appointed Rashmi Singh, secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, as the officiating chairperson which was an interim step that underscored how the regular appointment process had remained stuck for over two years.
The post has been vacant since July 2023, when former chairperson Anurag Kundu completed his term and moved to the Punjab government.
Who will get the role?
According to sources, administrative experience matters. The only non-bureaucrat to head the body was Anurag Kundu whose term got over in July 2023. “It is better to have an IAS or IPS officer in this position, because they know how to handle the system in a better way,” a senior official noted.