CVC clears nine public sector bank directors following vigilance scrutiny

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has given a clean chit to nine whole-time directors (WTDs) of various public sector banks, saying there were no adverse findings against them, two people aware of the development told Mint.Those cleared include Nidhhu Saxena (MD & CEO, Bank of Maharashtra), Bhavendra Kumar (executive director, Canara Bank), Mahendra Dohare (executive director, Central Bank of India), Bijay Baran Singh (executive director, Indian Bank), Ravi Mehra (executive director, Punjab & Sind Bank), and Vijaykumar Nivruti Kamble (executive director, UCO Bank), one of the people cited above said.A second person added that Rajiv Mishra (executive director, Bank of India), Brajesh Kumar Singh (executive director, Indian Bank), and Dhanraj T (executive director, Indian Overseas Bank) had also received clearance from the CVC.The development is significant as it comes at a time when the government has tightened oversight of board-level appointments in public sector banks following recent lapses and controversies related to vigilance disclosures. The clearances are seen as a critical filtering exercise amid heightened scrutiny of senior appointments.The move also comes against the backdrop of an unusual and high-profile action last year, in which the Centre demoted Union Bank of India Executive Director Pankaj Dwivedi to general manager at Punjab & Sind Bank.

The decision followed proceedings in the Delhi High Court, where it was alleged that his appointment as executive director did not comply with vigilance clearance norms. In this context, the CVC’s latest clearances underscore a more stringent and proactive approach to vetting top-level appointments.“CVC’s exoneration of nine whole-time directors underscores an