Politicians are often heard recalling the increased corruption rate in our country and how much they wish to turn the nation into a country that is completely devoid of corruption. India occupied 78th position in the list of Corruption Perception Index 2018. The list comprised a total number of 180 countries. India has still got a lot to achieve in this realm as its ranking is quite low as compared to certain European countries.
Corruption resides due to various reasons but one of the major reasons is the improper implementation or lack of anti-corruption laws. Since Independence, our Constitution has not put forward even a single law that can help in the serious eradication of corruption.
The concept of Lokpal was first introduced in the country by Laxmi Mall Singhvi in 1963 and our Parliament took 50 years to implement the Lokpal Act. Lokpal Bill was passed in 2013 and was a result of immense efforts done by Anna Hazaare and various politicians and social activists. Six years after the Lokpal Bill was passed, the country got its first Lokpal on March 23, 2019. Pinaki Chandra Ghose, who has also served as the Supreme Court Judge has been appointed the first Lokpal of our country.
Crimes like corruption exploit a country’s economy as well as its ethics and values. Not to forget that many popular politicians have their names registered in corruption and scam cases. Earlier in 2019, Rakesh Asthana (Former CBI Special Director) was shifted to the Department of Civil and Aviation security as he was alleged of money extortion and corruption case. The country is being destroyed by its own guards and servicemen. How can we expect it to develop in such scenarios?
Before moving further, a short introduction of a Lokpal and the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 is necessary for better understanding. Lokpal is an Indian derivation of Ombudsman which is a Swedish concept. An ombudsman is an official whose job is to make sure that the country is corruption free and he acts as the watchdog of all the government institutions of the nation.
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 has the following points:
- The Act seeks the appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas at the State-level.
- It consists of a chairperson and a maximum of 8 members.
- All the categories of public servants, even the Prime Minister, fall under watchlist of a Lokpal but the armed forces do not come under his ambit.
- A Lokpal can start its investigation on the basis of Prima Facie.
- The Lokpal is selected by a 5-member committee that includes:
- The Prime Minister
- The Lok Sabha Speaker
- Chief Justice of India
- Leader of Opposition
- An eminent jurist
It has been almost 25 days since our first Lokpal got the appointment and no big step has been taken so far. Even though this is very soon to expect a miracle from him but looking at the country’s poor implementation of anti-graft laws, something urgent needs to be done.
Strict laws should be implemented against those who provide and those who accept bribes. It is believed that corruption resides on every level of most of the working institutions. Just imagine the impact parents have on their children when they get a false medical report in order to ensure their attendance in colleges an schools. You wish to get your child admitted to a good school or college, just pay an ample amount of money to one of the authorities and your work is done.
Traffic police catch you for breaking a rule! No worries, give them a 100 INR note and you are free to go. Colleges, schools, universities, hospitals, police stations and even courts have become hubs of corruption where black money is provided.
As a country, we need to take the first step towards a very long journey, we must say NO to Corruption.