send mail to support@abhimanu.com mentioning your email id and mobileno registered with us! if details not recieved
Resend Opt after 60 Sec.
By Loging in you agree to Terms of Services and Privacy Policy
Claim your free MCQ
Please specify
Sorry for the inconvenience but we’re performing some maintenance at the moment. Website can be slow during this phase..
Please verify your mobile number
Login not allowed, Please logout from existing browser
Please update your name
Subscribe to Notifications
Stay updated with the latest Current affairs and other important updates regarding video Lectures, Test Schedules, live sessions etc..
Your Free user account at abhipedia has been created.
Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Stay motivated and keep moving forward!
Refer & Earn
Enquire Now
My Abhipedia Earning
Kindly Login to view your earning
Support
Context: On 16th January 2025, social activist Anna Hazare, Justice (retd) N. Santosh Hegde, and Attorney-General R. Venkataramani will be felicitated on the occasion of Lokpal Foundation Day.
The event marked the establishment of the Lokpal on this day in 2014, following the enactment of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
Note: The first Lokpal Day will be celebrated on 16th January 2025 in Delhi Cantt, with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as the Chief Guest.
Composition and Members:Appointed by the President of India.
Chairperson (Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge, or an eminent person),
Up to 8 members (50% judicial; 50% from SC/ST/OBC/minorities/women).
Selection Committee: Includes PM (Chairman), Lok Sabha Speaker, Opposition Leader, CJI/ Judge of the Supreme Court, and an eminent jurist.
Tenure: 5 years or until 70 years of age.
Jurisdiction: Lokpal covers the Prime Minister (with safeguards), Ministers, MPs, Group A/B/C/D officers, and officials of central government-funded entities.
Investigates corruption complaints, including those referred by CVC or whistleblowers.
Prosecution Wing: Lokpal can set up its prosecution wing.
Timeline for cases: Preliminary inquiry: 90 days; Investigation: 6 months (extendable).
Key Challenges/Issues with Lokpal: Seven-Year Limit (complaints older than seven years are not entertained), delayed appointments, rejected nearly 90% of complaints over the past 5 years as they were not in the correct format, etc.
About: It is a state-level anti-corruption authority in India, established to investigate grievances and allegations against public servants.
Appointment:The Governor appoints the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta after consulting Chief Justice of the State High Court and the Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly.
Tenure: In most states, the Lokayukta serves a 5-year term or until reaching 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.
Reappointment is not allowed.
Removal; Once appointed, a Lokayukta cannot be dismissed or transferred by the government and can only be removed through an impeachment motion passed by the state assembly.
Combating Corruption: The Lokpal and Lokayukts aim to address systemic corruption by providing a dedicated platform for investigating complaints against public officials, thus deterring corrupt practices and promoting ethical governance.
Enhancing Accountability: These institutions enhance accountability by holding public officials responsible for their actions, which helps restore public trust in government.
Empowering Citizens: The Act empowers citizens to file complaints against corruption, offering protection from retaliation by powerful officials.
Promoting Good Governance: Independent oversight by Lokpal and Lokayukts ensures the effective use of public resources and encourages officials to act in the public's best interest.
Ombudsman (Scandinavian countries): Independent authorities investigate complaints against government officials, ensuring fair treatment and accountability.
Anti-Corruption Commissions (Hong Kong, Singapore): Agencies like ICAC (Hong Kong) and CPIB (Singapore) investigate and prosecute corruption in public and private sectors.
Public Protector (South Africa): Investigates maladministration and corruption by public officials, holding them accountable.
Federal Anticorruption Bureau (Brazil): Oversees corruption investigations with a focus on prosecuting high-level officials.
Limitation Period for Filing Complaints: Under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, complaints against public servants must be filed within 7 years from the date of the alleged corruption or when the complainant becomes aware of it.
This time-bound restriction may lead to the exclusion of older cases of corruption, especially those discovered much later.
Severe Punishment for False Complaints: The heavy penalties for filing false complaints may discourage individuals from lodging complaints, even when justified.
Independence Issues: The Lokpal and Lokayukts face challenges regarding their independence, with concerns over political influence affecting their ability to function impartially.
Ineffectiveness in Tackling Corruption: The Lokpal has struggled to effectively address corruption, as evidenced by its receipt of 8,703 complaints between 2019-20 and 2023, with 5,981 disposed of.
However, it has not initiated prosecution against any individual for corruption, as noted in an April 2023 parliamentary committee report.
Exemptions Clause: While the Prime Minister falls under Lokpal’s jurisdiction, issues related to international relations, security, public order, atomic energy, and space are excluded, curbing its authority over sensitive matters.
No Oversight Mechanism: There is no comprehensive mechanism to evaluate Lokpal's own functioning, raising concerns about its accountability.
Review Limitation Period: Extend or provide flexibility in the 7-year period for filing complaints to accommodate delayed cases and ensure justice.
Balanced Penalties: Implement proportional penalties for false complaints to deter misuse while encouraging legitimate grievances.
Ensure Independence: Strengthen safeguards against political influence, improve selection processes, and provide institutional support to uphold autonomy.
The government should implement the recommendations made by Second ARC, which focuses on enhancing the Lokpal's accountability, streamlining processes, and improving its overall operational efficiency.
Clear Relationship with Other Agencies: A clear delineation of Lokpal's supervisory powers over the CBI, along with well-defined coordination mechanisms with agencies such as the ED and CVC, is essential to avoid jurisdictional conflicts and enhance inter-agency cooperation.
Adopt Global Best Practices: India should integrate international best practices, particularly from countries with strong whistleblower protection laws, in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
This will encourage citizens to report corruption without fear of retribution, thus increasing the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures.
The Lokpal is an important institution in India’s fight against corruption, providing a much-needed mechanism for holding public officials accountable.
By: Shubham Tiwari ProfileResourcesReport error
Access to prime resources
New Courses