Lokpal, at last (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 1: Polity
Prelims level: Lokpal
Mains level: Discuss the need for lokpal and its significance

Context

•  The selection of Justice P.C. Ghose as the first Lokpal has come after an unjustified delay of five years.
•  It ought to be welcomed as a milestone in the cause of fighting corruption in high places.
•  The concept of an institutional mechanism, or an anti-corruption ombudsman, has been around for over 50 years.
•  It was finally enacted as a law in 2013, and came into effect on January 16, 2014.
•  Some of the credit for driving this legislation must be given to Anna Hazare’s movement against what many saw as unreasonable levels of corruption under the previous UPA regime.

Background

•  However, since then, barring a report by the Standing Committee of Parliament and a couple of amendments passed in 2016 on the declaration of assets by public servants, there has been very little progress.
•  At one point, the government’s lack of political will to establish a Lokpal became obvious, leading to the Supreme Court repeatedly asking it to show progress in its efforts.
•  Ultimately, it was the court’s stern ultimatum to appoint a Lokpal within a timeframe that worked.

Steps taken by the government

•  The appointment system is quite long, a two-stage process.
•  A search committee has to be formed.
•  It recommends a panel of names to the high-power selection committee, which comprises the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Justice of India (or his nominee) and an eminent jurist.
•  The selection panel has to choose from a short-list consisting of names for the posts of Lokpal chairperson, and judicial and non-judicial members.
•  The government had initially taken the position that it was awaiting the passage of amendments based on the parliamentary committee report.
•  One amendment pertained to including the leader of the largest party in the Opposition in the selection committee, in the absence of a recognised Leader of the Opposition.
•  In a verdict in April 2017, the Supreme Court rejected the excuse and said there was no legal bar on the selection committee moving ahead even if there was a vacancy.

Way forward

•  It is not clear why this simple amendment, carried out in respect of selection committees for the posts of CBI Director and Chief Information Commissioner, was not made in the Lokpal Act.
•  Now that the Lokpal has been chosen, victims of corruption have a viable avenue of redress.
•  The Lokpal will take over the work of sanctioning prosecution, besides exercising its power to order preliminary inquiries and full-fledged investigations by any agency, including the CBI.
•  It may be unrealistic to expect any dramatic impact on the lives of the common people, but the Lokpal and other members have a historic responsibility to live up to popular expectations.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Which of the following is/are the possible significance for India to join in the Quadrilateral Grouping?
A. It provides New Delhi a powerful platform to advance its interests in Central Asia.
B. It will provide a powerful platform to advance Indian interest in region and strengthen Look East policy.
C. It will deepen India’s ties with US, Australia and Japan with benefits in diplomatic leverage and sharing of burden in defense.
D. It helps India to counter China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) The establishment of the anti-graft body is a welcome development. Comment.
Q.2) What is lokpal? What it needs to be established?