The Central Vigilance Commission
The apex vigilance body of 1964 that watches over corruption in central government and oversees the CBI's corruption cases.
What the paper can ask
- Set up 1964; statutory status under the CVC Act, 2003; Central Vigilance Commissioner plus up to two Vigilance Commissioners.
- Appointed by the President on a committee of the PM (chair), Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition; term four years or age 65.
- Supervises the CBI (Delhi Special Police Establishment) in Prevention of Corruption Act cases; cannot itself register cases.
- First CVC: Nittoor Srinivasa Rau; A. S. Rajeev has been acting CVC since 3 August 2026, when Praveen Kumar Srivastava's tenure ended; no regular CVC found as of 2 November 2026. (as of 2 Nov 2026)
Why exams ask
The committee that recommended it, the 2003 Act and the appointing committee are standard questions.
The full story
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was set up in February 1964 on the recommendation of a committee on prevention of corruption, and got statutory status through the CVC Act, 2003. It is headed by a Central Vigilance Commissioner with up to two Vigilance Commissioners, appointed by the President on the advice of a committee of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
Test yourself
1.The Central Vigilance Commission was set up in 1964 on the recommendation of which committee?
Correct. The CVC was set up by a Government resolution on 11 February 1964 on the Santhanam committee's advice. Statutory status came in 2003.
Not quite. The CVC was set up by a Government resolution on 11 February 1964 on the Santhanam committee's advice. Statutory status came in 2003. It goes into your error book.