Section 8 CVC Act - Functions and Powers of Central Vigilance Commission
Section 8 of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 sets out the principal statutory functions and powers of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), including specified supervisory, inquiry, review and advisory functions relating to vigilance and corruption matters.
Updated: 22 September 2026
What does Section 8 of the CVC Act provide?
Section 8 is the core provision defining the functions and powers of the Central Vigilance Commission. Broadly, it empowers the Commission to exercise statutory superintendence over specified anti-corruption investigations of the Delhi Special Police Establishment, give permissible directions, cause inquiries or investigations in defined cases, review investigation progress and prosecution-sanction applications, tender vigilance advice, and supervise vigilance administration within the limits laid down by the Act.
Section 8 - Functions and powers of Central Vigilance Commission
(1) The functions and powers of the Commission shall be to -
(a) exercise superintendence over the functioning of the Delhi Special Police Establishment in so far as it relates to the investigation of offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) or an offence with which a public servant specified in sub-section (2) may, under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), be charged at the same trial;
(b) give directions to the Delhi Special Police Establishment for the purpose of discharging the responsibility entrusted to it under sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (25 of 1946):
Provided that while exercising the powers of superintendence under clause (a) or giving directions under this clause, the Commission shall not exercise powers in such a manner so as to require the Delhi Special Police Establishment to investigate or dispose of any case in a particular manner;
(c) inquire or cause an inquiry or investigation to be made on a reference made by the Central Government wherein it is alleged that a public servant being an employee of the Central Government or a corporation established by or under any Central Act, Government company, society and any local authority owned or controlled by that Government, has committed an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) or an offence with which a public servant may, under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), be charged at the same trial;
(d) inquire or cause an inquiry or investigation to be made into any complaint against any official belonging to such category of officials specified in sub-section (2) wherein it is alleged that he has committed an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) and an offence with which a public servant specified in sub-section (2) may, under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), be charged at the same trial;
(e) review the progress of investigations conducted by the Delhi Special Police Establishment into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) or an offence with which a public servant may, under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), be charged at the same trial;
(f) review the progress of applications pending with the competent authorities for sanction of prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988);
(g) tender advice to the Central Government, corporations established by or under any Central Act, Government companies, societies and local authorities owned or controlled by the Central Government on such matters as may be referred to it by that Government, said Government companies, societies and local authorities owned or controlled by the Central Government or otherwise;
(h) exercise superintendence over the vigilance administration of the various Ministries of the Central Government or corporations established by or under any Central Act, Government companies, societies and local authorities owned or controlled by that Government:
Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall be deemed to authorise the Commission to exercise superintendence over the vigilance administration in a manner not consistent with the directions relating to vigilance matters issued by the Government and to confer power upon the Commission to issue directions relating to any policy matters.
(2) The persons referred to in clause (d) of sub-section (1) are as follows -
(a) members of All-India Services serving in connection with the affairs of the Union and Group 'A' officers of the Central Government;
(b) such level of officers of the corporations established by or under any Central Act, Government companies, societies and other local authorities, owned or controlled by the Central Government, as that Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf:
Provided that till such time a notification is issued under this clause, all officers of the said corporations, companies, societies and local authorities shall be deemed to be the persons referred to in clause (d) of sub-section (1).
(c) on a reference made by the Lokpal under the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 20 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 (1 of 2014), the persons referred to in clause (d) of sub-section (1) shall also include -
(i) members of Group B, Group C and Group D services of the Central Government;
(ii) such level of officials or staff of the corporations established by or under any Central Act, Government companies, societies and other local authorities, owned or controlled by the Central Government, as that Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf:
Provided that till such time a notification is issued under this clause, all officials or staff of the said corporations, companies, societies and local authorities shall be deemed to be the persons referred in clause (d) of sub-section (1).
Clause (c) was inserted by Act 1 of 2014, section 58 and the Schedule, with effect from 16 January 2014.
Functions and powers under Section 8 explained
Superintendence over specified CBI investigations
The Delhi Special Police Establishment, commonly associated with the investigative wing of the CBI, is subject to the Commission's superintendence for the class of anti-corruption investigations described in section 8(1)(a). The proviso to clause (b) preserves investigative independence in an individual case by preventing the Commission from directing that a particular case be investigated or disposed of in a particular manner.
Inquiry and investigation powers
Clauses (c) and (d) permit the Commission to inquire, or cause an inquiry or investigation to be made, in the situations and against the categories of public servants specified by the Act.
Review of investigations and prosecution sanction
Clauses (e) and (f) empower the Commission to review the progress of relevant investigations and the progress of applications pending before competent authorities for sanction of prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Advice and vigilance administration
Clauses (g) and (h) deal with the Commission's advisory role and its superintendence over vigilance administration in Central Government Ministries and specified Central Government controlled bodies. The proviso to clause (h) limits this authority in relation to Government vigilance directions and policy matters.
Who is covered by Section 8(2)?
For complaints under section 8(1)(d), section 8(2) identifies the covered categories. These include members of the All-India Services serving in connection with Union affairs, Group 'A' Central Government officers and notified levels of officers in specified Central Government controlled entities. On a qualifying Lokpal reference, clause (c) also brings the stated Group B, Group C and Group D services and specified officials or staff within the provision.
Related legal provisions and official sources
The operation of section 8 should be read with the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 and, where applicable, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. References in the statutory text to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 reflect the wording of the Central Vigilance Commission Act's consolidated text; current criminal procedure is governed generally by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024, subject to its savings and transitional provisions.