Question

Who among the following was the first Chief Information Commissioner of India?

• A. Wajahat Habibullah
• B. Irfan Habib
• C. Tahir Mahmood
• D. Najma Heptullah

Hint:

Map landmark legislation to their first office-holders—it creates strong memory anchors for static GK; e.g., RTI Act $\rightarrow$ first CIC = Wajahat Habibullah.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The Central Information Commission (CIC) was constituted under the Right to Information Act, 2005 to enforce citizens’ access to information from public authorities.
The very first Chief Information Commissioner set the tone for implementation, appeals, and orders under the RTI framework, making this a frequently tested fact.
Wajahat Habibullah, a senior IAS officer with a notable administrative career, was appointed as the first Chief Information Commissioner soon after the RTI Act came into force.
Option (b), Irfan Habib, is a renowned historian and not associated with the CIC post, which helps us eliminate this distractor quickly.
Option (c), Tahir Mahmood, is a distinguished legal scholar known for work in personal laws and minority rights, but he did not serve as CIC, so this is another distractor.
Option (d), Najma Heptullah, is a prominent politician and former Governor, also not linked to the CIC position, allowing a clean elimination.
With three distractors correctly identified by profession and contribution, option (a) remains as the historically accurate first CIC.