Table of Contents
CBI Full Form: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions oversees its operations. It was first established to look into cases of bribery and official corruption, but in 1965, it was given more authority to look into cases involving multi-state organized crime, international cases, and violations of central laws enforced by the Indian government.
Central Bureau of Investigation Overview
The CBI was first established to function within the boundaries of Delhi under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. It handles high-profile cases related to corruption, economic crimes, special crimes, and more. Here is an overview of CBI.
| Category | Details |
| Full Form | Central Bureau of Investigation |
| Motto | Industry, Impartiality, Integrity |
| Formation Year | 1963 (Under DSPE Act, 1946) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Director | Praveen Sood, IPS |
| Parent Agency | Department of Personnel and Training |
| Jurisdiction | Nationwide (India) |
| Official Website | www.cbi.gov.in |
CBI Headquarter
The CBI headquarters is located in New Delhi near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the CGO Complex. CBI remains exempt from the provisions of the Right to Information Act. For acting as an intermediary between Interpol and India, the CBI remains the official point of contact at the Indian end.
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CBI Current Director
The CBI is headed by Praveen Sood, an IGP and DG of the Karnataka state police. The Director General of Police, an IPS officer by rank, is the CBI Director. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act of 2013 amended the DSPE Act of 1946, which established a committee to choose the CBI director. The director shall hold office for a term of two years, extendable by three years.
CBI History
The Indian government created the Special Police Establishment (SPE), a Central Government Police force, in 1941 to investigate allegations of corruption and bribery in interactions with the War and Supply Department of India. The Central Bureau of Investigation was founded here. Its headquarters were in Lahore.
Rai Sahib Karam Chand Jain was the War Department’s first legal adviser. The need for a central government agency to look into bribery and corruption by central government employees persisted after the war. When the department was moved to the Home Department by Sahib Karam Chand Jain, he continued to serve as its legal advisor. Based on the suggestions of the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption, the MHA passed a resolution in 1963 that formally established the CBI.
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CBI Director Appointment and Selection Committees
The CBI Director is appointed for a term of not less than two years. The director appointment is to be made by the Appointment Committee on the recommendations of the Selection Committee. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act governs these procedures, 1946, subsequently amended by the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013, and the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003. Members of the Appointment Committee:
- The Prime Minister
- The Chief Justice of India
- The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Central Government appoints the CBI Director based on the recommendations of this committee.
The Selection Committee, formed under the DSPE Act, is responsible for shortlisting a few candidates. These names are then sent to the Appointment Committee, which picks one of them to be appointed as the CBI Director. Members of the Selection Committee:
- Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) – Chairperson
- Vigilance Commissioners – Members
- Home Secretary (Ministry of Home Affairs) – Member
- Secretary, Coordination and Public Grievances (Cabinet Secretariat) – Member
To replace the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) with the leader of the single largest opposition party or pre-election coalition, the NDA government introduced an amendment bill on November 25, 2014, which stated that “no appointment of a Central Bureau of Investigation director shall be invalid merely because of any vacancy or absence of members in the panel.” This bill recommended names for the CBI director position to the central government while doing away with the requirement for a quorum in prominent committees.
CBI Demand for Greater Autonomy
Despite deferring to the government’s authority in non-corruption cases, the CBI demanded independent investigations, stating that it believed the director needed adequate financial and administrative powers, including a minimum three-year tenure to ensure “functional autonomy.”
The agency stated that financial powers were insufficient and that it desired a separate budget allocation. “Therefore, it is necessary that the director, CBI, be given ex-officio powers of the Secretary to the Government of India, reporting directly to the minister, without having to go through the DoPT,” the agency stated.
CBI Hierarchy
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has a clear rank structure, divided into two major categories: Officers and Subordinate Staff. The CBI hierarchy’s officer and subordinate ranks are distinguished in the table below.
| Category | Rank |
| Officer | Director |
| Special Director | |
| Additional Director | |
| Joint Director | |
| Deputy Inspector General (DIG) | |
| Superintendent of Police (SP) | |
| Additional SP (Addl. SP) | |
| Deputy SP (Dy. SP) | |
| Subordinate | Inspector |
| Sub-Inspector (SI) | |
| Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) | |
| Head Constable (HC) | |
| Constable |
CBI Academy
In 1996, the CBI Academy was established in Ghaziabad, which is east of Delhi. It is roughly 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Indira Gandhi International Airport and 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the New Delhi train station.
The academic, administrative, residential, and dorm buildings are located on the 26.5-acre (10.7-hectare) campus, which is surrounded by fields and plantations. Before the CBI academy was established, short-term in-service training was offered at a small training facility in Lok Nayak Bhawan (New Delhi). For basic training courses for DSP, SI, and constables, the CBI then turned to state police training facilities and Hyderabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy.
CBI Jurisdiction, Powers, Restrictions
In 2022, the Prime Minister’s office’s state minister told the Rajya Sabha that nine states had revoked their general consent for the CBI to look into cases in their states. Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, and Punjab are among the states. Tamil Nadu (TN) was the 9th state to revoke its consent in June 2023.
CBI Recruitment
The CBI uses both direct and indirect hiring practices and CBI recruitment. The Staff Selection Commission’s Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam is the main method used for direct recruitment, which fills entry-level jobs for lower-level employees.
Indirectly, deputing seasoned and deserving officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre and occasionally from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) cadre fills superior officer positions (Group A). Deputizing officers from different state police forces, union territory police, and other law enforcement organizations can also be used to fill subordinate positions.
Officers from State Police Services (SPSs) across India may be assigned by the CBI to lower-level roles like Inspector and Sub-Inspector of Police, as well as higher-level roles like Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and Addl. SP (Additional Superintendent of Police).
The CBI is typically tasked with handling delicate national cases. State police departments routinely register cases that fall under their purview. A case may be forwarded to the CBI by the central government if required.
The organization has come under fire for handling a number of scams improperly. It has also come under fire for taking too long to look into well-known politicians like Jayalalithaa, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, P. V. Narasimha Rao, and many others.
CBI Exemption from Right to Information (RTI)
CBI is exempt from the provisions of the RTI (Right to Information Act) of 2005. On June 9, 2011, the government granted this exemption on the grounds of national security (along with similar exemptions for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation, and the Natgrid (National Intelligence Grid).
RTI activists and the Central Information Commission blasted it, claiming that the broad exemption went against the spirit and purpose of the RTI Act. The Madras High Court upheld the exemption.
CBI Divisions
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) works through various specialized divisions. Each division is responsible for a particular type of case or function. This structure helps the CBI manage its wide range of duties efficiently. Below are the main divisions of the CBI and their roles:
- Anti-Corruption Division: This division handles cases involving public servants in accordance with the Prevention of Corruption Act.
- The Economic Offenses Division looks into serious economic crimes, financial scams, and bank fraud.
- The Special Crimes Division deals with murders and crimes of national importance in addition to high-profile cases that are referred by states or courts.
- Directorate of Prosecution: Prosecution-related matters.
- The Administration Division handles matters of administration and policies.
- Division of Policy and Coordination, CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory)
CBI Zonal Offices
The CBI is operationally separated into zones. A Joint Director is in charge of each zonal office, which is responsible for managing several branch offices under its purview. The cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh are home to important zonal offices.
These offices manage specialized regions’ Anti-Corruption Branches (ACBs), Economic Offenses Branches, and Special Crimes Branches in order to guarantee effective investigation, administrative assistance, and interagency coordination.
FAQs on CBI Full Form
How do I become a CBI officer?
The SSC CGL exam, administered by the Staff Selection Commission every year, must be passed in order to join the CBI directly.
What is meant by CBI?
The Central Bureau of Investigation, India's top investigating police force, is commonly referred to as CBI.
What are the benefits of CBI?
Many benefits, including HRA, DA, Transportation Allowance, and Medical Allowance, are available to CBI officers.
