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<keyword id="19986658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ahmednagar" source="keywords">Ahmednagar</keyword> (Maharashtra), Anti-corruption crusader <keyword id="21049266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anna-hazare" source="keywords">Anna Hazare</keyword> on Friday said that he felt "deeply pained" by the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister <keyword id="19901384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="arvind-kejriwal" source="keywords">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword>, "who is now paying for his own deeds". Interacting with a large crowd of mediapersons at his native village Ralegan-Siddhi this morning, Anna <keyword id="21049541" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hazare" source="keywords">Hazare</keyword>, 86, recalled his old association with Arvind Kejriwal during the India Against Corruption (IAC)'s long movement in New Delhi in 2011, and other places. "I remember, he was working with me and we both had raised our voices against liquor... But now he's trying to accord legal sanction to liquor. I felt very hurt by it," lamented Hazare. However, he said nothing can be done against the government and CM Kejriwal has been arrested for his own dark acts. "If he had not done such things (liquor policy), this (arrest) would not have happened. Now, the law shall take its course, the government will see and decide what has to be done," declared Hazare flatly. This was Hazare's first reaction after his former close associate Arvind Kejriwal was detained, questioned and then arrested by the <keyword id="19895344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="enforcement-directorate" source="keywords">Enforcement Directorate</keyword> late on Thursday, sparking an uproar from opposition political circles.

Arvind Kejriwal is paying for his deeds says his former mentor Anna Hazare

NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday passed the crucial <keyword id="6356353" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="lokpal">Lokpal</keyword> Bill with the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> adopting the measure as amended by the Rajya Sabha after a short discussion. Following are the salient features of the amended Lokpal Bill. 
 
1. Lokayuktas: The new bill mandates states to set up Lokayuktas within 365 days. States have the freedom to determine the nature and type of Lokayukta. 
 
The old bill said the law shall be applicable to states only if they give consent to its application. 
 
The old bill gave power to the central government to appoint state Lokayuktas while the new draft gives this power to the states. 
 
2. Constitution of Lokpal: The Lokpal will consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members, of which fifty percent shall be judicial members. Fifty percent members of Lokpal shall be from among SC, ST, OBCs, minorities and women. 
 The older version said the chairperson shall be the <keyword id="42759" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chief-Justice">Chief Justice</keyword> of India or a present or former <keyword id="18182" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Judge">judge</keyword> of the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> or a non-judicial member with specified qualifications (chief justice or a judge of a high court). 
 
3. Selection of Lokpal: The selection committee will have <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword>, Lok Sabha Speaker, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. A fifth member of the selection committee for selection of Lokpal under the category of "eminent jurist" may be nominated by the <keyword id="2540" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="President">President</keyword> on the basis of recommendation of the first four members of the selection committee. 
 
In the old bill, selection of the fifth person was left entirely to the President. 
 
4. Religious bodies and trust: The new bill includes societies and trusts that collect public money, receive <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> from foreign sources, and have an income level above a certain threshold, it excludes bodies creating endowments for or performing religious or charitable functions. 
 
The old bill expanded definition of public servant by bringing societies and trusts which receive donations from the public (over a specified annual income) and, organisations which receive foreign donations (over Rs 10 lakh a year) within the purview of the Lokpal. 
 
5. Prosecution: In the new version, before taking a decision on filing a chargesheet in a case upon consideration of the investigation report, the Lokpal may authorise its own prosecution wing or the concerned investigating agency to initiate prosecution in special courts. 
 
Under the old bill, prosecution of the case could be done only by the prosecution wing of the Lokpal. 
 
6. Central Bureau of Investigation: For independence of the CBI, in the new bill a directorate of prosecution will be formed. Appointment of the director of prosecution will be on the recommendation of the <keyword id="403158" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Central-Vigilance-Commissioner">Central Vigilance Commissioner</keyword>. 
 
Transfer of officers of CBI investigating cases referred by Lokpal will be only with the approval of Lokpal who will also have superintendence over CBI in relation to Lokpal referred cases. 
 
7. Hearing: The new bill says a government servant will get a hearing before a decision is taken by the Lokpal. 
 
8. Prime Minister: The Prime Minister will be under the purview of the Lokpal with subject matter exclusions and specific process for handling complaints against the Prime Minister. 
 
9. Investigation: Inquiry has to be completed within 60 days and investigation to be completed within six months. Lokpal shall order an investigation only after hearing the public servant. 
 
Inquiry against the prime minister has to be held in-camera and approved by two-thirds of the full bench of the Lokpal. 
 
10. Penalty: False and frivolous complaints - imprisonment up to one year and a fine of up to Rs.1 lakh. Public servants - imprisonment up to seven years. Criminal misconduct and habitually abetting corruption - jail term up to 10 years. 
 
 
Lokpal’s journey to transparency 
 
1966 
 <keyword id="238033" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Morarji-Desai">Morarji Desai</keyword> led First Administrative Reforms Commission recommends setting up of Lokpal at Centre and Lokayukta in states to look into complaints against public functionaries, including MPs 
 
1968-2001 
 
Successive governments introduce Lokpal bill eight times 
 
2002 
 
Justice MN Venkatachaliah led Constitution Review Commission stresses the need for Lokpal and Lokayuktas 
 
2004 
 
UPA-I's national common minimum programme promises that Lokpal bill would be enacted 
 
2005 
 
Veerappa Moily led Second Administrative Reforms Commission reiterates that Lokpal be established without delay 
 
2011 
 Jan: UPA-II's GoM headed by <keyword id="6359124" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Pranab-Mukherjee">Pranab Mukherjee</keyword> suggests a range of anti-corruption measures, including the Lokpal bill 
 Apr 5: <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword> begins his first fast at Jantar Mantar demanding enactment of <keyword id="541695" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jan-Lokpal-Bill">Jan Lokpal bill</keyword> drafted by his team 
 
Apr 9: Anna ends fast as the government forms a joint drafting committee consisting of ministers and civil society members 
 
Jun 21: The last meeting of the drafting committee ends with the two sides coming up with separate drafts 
 
Aug 4: Govt introduces a Lokpal bill, widely attacked as fl awed 
 
Aug 8: Bill referred to standing committee 
 
Aug 16: Anna launches second fast for Jan Lokpal bill 
 
Dec 22: Govt re-introduces Lokpal and Lokayuktas bill 
 
Dec 27: Lok Sabha passes bill 
 
Dec 29: Introduced in Rajya Sabha 
 
2012 
 
Re-introduced in Rajya Sabha. Referred to select committee 
 
2013 
 
Dec 10: Anna Hazare begins fast in his village in Maharashtra, demanding urgent introduction of a new anti-corruption law 
 
Dec 13: Amended bill tabled in Rajya Sabha 
 
Dec 18: Lok Sabha passes the ammended bill. Anna Hazare breaks his fast. 
 
(With inputs from IANS)

All you want to know about Lokpal Bill

Yogaguru <keyword id="6355107" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Baba-Ramdev">Baba Ramdev</keyword> may be smiling his trademark way and so might be <keyword id="55" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-activist">social activist</keyword> <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword> as their dream and struggle to bring <keyword id="6356023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Black-Money">black money</keyword> back from tax haven may soon come true. As per the finance ministers <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword>’s prescription, the government has strengthened its vigil to ensure that illicit funds parked overseas are not brought back into the country through trade and other routes before the harsh black money law gets imposed. A recent Economic Times reports suggests that agencies under the finance ministry will keep a close watch on trade flows over the next few months as over-invoicing is rampantly being used to legally bring funds back in India. 
 Since most people with black money stashed overseas follow traditional channels of gold and diamond shipments, <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Finance-minister">finance minister</keyword> is preparing for a stricter monitoring regularly. 
 
In the annual budget this year, Jaitley had proposed to bring customs offences such as false declaration and false documents under the money-laundering act. 
 
Revenue agencies have already detected a rise in trade-based laundering with multiple modus operandi -- such as the export and import of low-value goods that are declared high-value items -- being employed to bring funds into the country. 
 
According to the financial daily, there is a sudden jump in export turnover or increase in import volumes could trigger an alarm, which authorities have now greater powers to investigate and prosecute. 
 
In a bid to speed up the process, Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015 has been passed last month. The law requires residents to disclose foreign income and assets from the assessment year beginning April 1, 2016, and prescribes stiff monetary penalty and imprisonment up to 10 years for failure to do so.

‘Watchman’ Govt keeping close lookout for overseas black money entering India

<ul><li>Pinaki Chandra Ghose has been appointed as the chairman of India’s Lokpal or anti-corruption ombudsman. </li><li>The formation of India’s anti-corruption ombudsman has been pending for the past six years since the <keyword id="446008" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lokpal-Bill">Lokpal Bill</keyword> was first passed in 2013. </li><li>The Lokpal has the authority to look into incidents of corruption at all levels of public service, including the Prime Minister. </li></ul>Pinaki Chandra Ghose, former judge at the Indian Supreme Court and a member of the National Human Rights Commission (HRC), has been be appointed as the country’s first anti-corruption ombudsman or chairman of the Lokpal. The formation of a committee that will look into incidents of corruption within the Indian government has been in the works for six years now, since the Lokpal Act was first passed in 2013. It was only in September last year that a selection committee was formed led by Ranjana Prakash, a former Supreme Court Chief Justice, and chaired by India’s current prime minister, Narendra Modi. Even then, the leader of the opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge — who is also a member of the Lokpal — refused to attend the meetings. Not that it hindered the selection process since the Supreme Court’s clarification in 2017 where they ruled that the Leader of the Opposition need not necessarily be present in order for the committee to decide on the appointments for the Lokpal. What exactly is an anti-corruption ombudsman? As per the Lokpal Act, 2013, the anti-corruption ombudsman or Lokpal has the power to investigate any complaint of corruption against any public entity — including the Prime Minister. But, in order to conduct an investigation into the Prime Minister, it must be approved by two-thirds of the committee. It supersedes the authority of any other investigating agency, even the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Any officer of the CBI that’s on a case that was assigned by the Lokpal can’t even transfer out without prior approval from the ombudsman. Aside from investigation complaints of corruption, it’s also the Lokpal’s responsibility to make sure that any public officer who is a whistleblower is protected on their watch. <div type="image" title="Lokpal" msid="68491540" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Salient features of the Lokpal Act&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 The idea to put an anti-corruption ombudsman in place was first floated back in 1963 during a parliamentary session when the law ministry’s budget was being discussed. A bill for its formation even reached parliament in 1968 but despite eight attempts — none actually passed. It was only in 2013 that the Lokpal Act finally passed, that too after a nationwide protest led by India Against Corruption — a civil society movement that was led by the activist, Anna Hazare. Six years later, the Supreme Court of India told the Indian government to form a committee to appoint the country’s first Lokpal in January. An NGO called Common Cause even filed a petition and contempt petition in 2014 over the delay. It’s not just the central government of delay that subject to delay. Most states are also yet to appoint Lokayuktas, something that was supposed to be in place within a year of the Lokpal Act kicking in.

India’s gets its first anti-corruption ombudsman

India was the cradle of civilization, a riverine world that had its proud foundation in the Indus Valley. Indian culture is thus interwoven with water. The holy Ganges, the early dip, the bathing ritual---all early Hindu practices are water-shot. 
 
Yet the paradox is that the most fertile nation is today one of the most water-challenged countries in the world, “<a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/02/3-maps-explain-india%E2%80%99s-growing-water-risks">from its deepest aquifers to its largest rivers</a>”. 
 
How much is too much? 
 A report by the <keyword id="6356505" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Resources-Institute">World Resources Institute</keyword> shows that more than 100 million people in India live in severely polluted areas. Out of 632 districts examined, only 59 districts had water safe enough to drink. The area that is the most severely polluted is Bagalkot, Karnataka. 
 
The statistics mock the country. While 54% of India’s total area faces the threat of water scarcity, almost 600 million people are not able to get enough. In a total population of 1.2 billion according to the 2011 census, India has just 1,000 cubic meters of water per person today, as against the US supply of nearly 8,000 cubic metres per person. Any country with less than 1,700 cubic meters per person per year is considered water-stressed. 
 
Even the most fertile region, which is the source of not only food but also her civilization and the Vedic culture, is the excessively high-stressed Northwest India, which produces 50 per cent of the national rice supply and 85 per cent of its wheat. This area is also called India’s “breadbasket.” But the 550 wells in Northwestern India face the danger of declining groundwater levels by 58 per cent. 
But why exactly, has this all happened? 
 
Why the <keyword id="6355836" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-crisis">water crisis</keyword>? 
 The reasons are obvious. Even as the population is expanding, water supply is reducing, with farmers over-extracting the resource. Especially after the Green Revolution, groundwater, rather than surface water, is being overused to irrigate crops. 
 
There is not enough investment in technology and infrastructure at all federal, state, and local levels. Due to lack of efficient planning, shooting corporate privatization, industrial and human pollution and finally corruption, the lifeline of a healthy community has been threatened, according to <a href="http://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-india">The Water Project</a>. 
 
South, West and Central India, on the other hand, have a significantly lower water table than other regions. 
 
In Eastern India, the strange paradox of abundant groundwater, but lack of electricity, has made water inaccessible for irrigation. All over the country, faulty distribution of electricity has stressed out agricultural practices. 
 
When examined at a national level, it is clear that the groundwater levels come down continuously, as its 4,000 wells show a reduction of 54% of the water supply in the past seven years. Almost 16% of the water reduces by over 1 meter (3.2 feet) annually. 
 
Moreover, the groundwater is extremely polluted as chlorine, fluoride, iron, arsenic, nitrate, and/or electrical conductivity exceed the national standards. Most of the water in India is not even fit for drinking, and sometimes not even for bathing. The Clean Ganga campaign never proceeded beyond a launch in 1984, due to lack of maintenance of the facilities. 
 
Improving water supply? 
How do we increase water creation and storage, then? In the cities, a poor and leaky distribution network has led to large-scale leakage as well as “unaccounted water.” But with adequate pricing, and the use of private firms to streamline distribution, reliable water supply can be improved and pricing can be reduced, as in Dharwad. 
 
In rural areas, while recharging and harvesting water is important, such techniques have limited advantages. It is important to utilize water for local storage. In the long run, dams can be used, apart from full groundwater recharge, water harvesting, and recycling, in order to prevent it from getting lost in the oceans. 
 
However, two opposing viewpoints lock horns over the issue of dams. One section says that a worrying aspect of storage dams is its record of disturbing biodiversity and the environment, submerging and displacing people and disrupting their lifestyles, cultures, social support systems and emotional attachment to certain areas. Hence, instead of big dams, they advocate watershed development, involving leveling land and tapping rainwater in small ponds and check dams in streams, which can increase soil moisture, recharge groundwater, and facilitate a second crop. 
 
On the other hand, many heavy technology-oriented nation builders feel that storage dams cannot be neglected, considering the swelling population and the need to overcome the national crisis. They point out that while the population is expected to grow astronomically, the target increase of agriculture by 4% every year is essential to expand 140 million hectares (mh) of net cultivated area in India, even though only about 60 mh of land is irrigated today. 
 
Some new steps One optimistic feature of India’s water development is that certain issues have been addressed, at least. In India’s eleventh five-year plan (2007–12), according to The <keyword id="467755" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Bureau-of-Asian-Research">National Bureau of Asian Research</keyword> some 15 mh through watershed development, as well as NGO-led efforts have paved the way to the program’s success. 
 For example, <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword> transformed Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra through water harvesting and cooperation. Another NGO called <keyword id="290378" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tarun-Bharat-Sangh">Tarun Bharat Sangh</keyword> brought about community-based development through water harvesting and management in Rajasthan. Even Gujarat built over 100,000 check dams, which are said to be the main reason for Gujarat’s 8%-plus growth rate of agricultural GDP. 
 
With a lot of focus on water management in the 12th Five-Year plan, there seems to be some attention being given to aquifer mapping, watershed development, reduction of pollution and treatment, and efficient management of irrigation. 
 
With sound partnership between the centre, state, municipal and private bodies, the water crisis can be blown over, point out the optimists. 
Can we then rise to the occasion and reach for the sodden skies and a fertile earth?

How India’s Waterless Doom Can Be Defeated

NEW DELHI: Those who were there will always remember the sea of heads with white caps, tricolours fluttering in the winter wind and the sparkle of hope on every <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> supporter's face at the packed Ramlila Maidan on Saturday. For them, it wasn't just a swearing-in ceremony; it was an open-air party of the common folk, a showtime for people's power. 
 And the speech that their <keyword id="19496" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="leader">leader</keyword> <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword>, the new <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">chief minister</keyword> of Delhi, delivered after the swearing-in ceremony was no ordinary speech either. For him, this was a "tryst with destiny" moment. And he seemed to be speaking straight from the heart when he declared, "The politics of this country had destroyed everything but in these assembly elections the people have shown that honest politics is possible. Elections can be fought with honesty and won with honesty." The crowd, about 80,000 inside and outside the venue, cheered in approval. 
 Many of them had come from far and wide: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="6358126" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Himachal-Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh</keyword>, Rajasthan, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, Telangana, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> and elsewhere. School teacher Nimma Jairam Reddy, 44, travelled for 28 hours from Medak district in Telangana. "In the past 60 years, the difference between the aam aadmi and the amir aadmi has grown. To end it, traditional politics must die and be replaced with moral and modern politics which Kejriwal represents," he said. 
 
Kejriwal's speech was politically mature, and marked by clarity of thought. He spoke of announcing a phone number in two days – a complaint hotline to catch bribe-givers red-handed. He also assuaged fears of the honest bureaucrat. "Today many people tell me, Arvindji, stay alert, because bureaucracy would not let you succeed. I don't believe this. Over the past few days, I have met some Delhi bureaucrats. I have no hesitation in saying that if some people are corrupt, there are several who are highly upright and want to serve the nation," he said. 
 He also urged his partymen too to stay on the right path. "I request my party ministers, MLAs and workers to never be conceited and arrogant. Our struggle will go waste if our MLAs and ministers become arrogant. <keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword> was formed to overthrow the arrogant parties and I don't want another party to come up to put an end to our arrogance. Even when our volunteers go to mohallas and colonies, they should be humble since we are desh sewaks. We didn't come here to become chief ministers or ministers but to serve the country and we should never forget that we are sewaks." 
 
The anti-graft activist also spoke about the crushing burden of raised expectations. "Sometimes I am very scared as people have pinned their hopes on us and I pray to God to give us courage and keep us on right track so that we don't commit any mistake." 
 
Towards the end of his speech, Kejriwal urged the crowd to take an oath against bribes. Most joined him in this moment of public engagement in the process to bring about positive social change. 
 S Selvaraj was among those who did. He came from a village near the famous Kolli Malai hills in Tamil Nadu. It was a 72-hour <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> first by bullock cart, followed by bus and train. "I like his concepts of humility and simplicity in politics. That's why I am here," he said. Others spoke of having taken leave from office, even left behind an ailing child, to be there because it was "an extraordinary day" for them. 
 This looked like a real crowd of party workers and common people; not the paid hordes who often arrive in truckloads at political gatherings. This was also a far more relaxed crowd than what had gathered during <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword>'s fast at the same venue in 2011. 
 
A banner indicated the people's mood: Free hugs for Aam Aadmi, it said. No surprise, some supporters carried posters of the film, Nayak, where the hero becomes a chief minister for a day. But they had replaced Anil Kapoor's mug with Kejriwal's. It was evident he was their rock star. 
 
 
 Kejriwal, who had trounced <keyword id="39794" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sheila-Dixit">Sheila Dixit</keyword> in the polls, also took care to name gods of different religions while hailing the win as a miracle (kudrat ka karishma). He thanked "parampita parmeshwar, parmatma, ishwar, allah and wahe guru" for the triumph. Even while paying tribute to late colleague <keyword id="1246005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Santosh-Koli">Santosh Koli</keyword>, he said, "Hindu dharma says that while the body perishes, the soul is immortal. Today, if Santosh's soul can see us or hear us, it will be happy to know that her sacrifice did not go waste." 
 
The gods seem to be smiling on Kejriwal, in any case. In a week when the national capital was often blanketed by grey, unsympathetic clouds, the sun shone brightly on Saturday. There couldn't have been a better day to attend a political gathering or play Test cricket. 
 
Times View : A beautiful moment for our precious democracy 
 
No one could have imagined at the beginning of 2013, or even six months ago, that Arvind Kejriwal would return to the Ramlila Maidan, two and a half years after Anna's big anti-corruption fast, to take oath as chief minister before the year was out. This has been a peaceful political revolution of epic proportions – and we, as a nation, should feel proud. Kejriwal may be the man of the moment, but this not about him – or any one person. This is about the idea of India. We have been called a flawed democracy, and indeed there are times when a sense of hopelessness takes over; but it's also the flaws that help us appreciate beauty when it shines through. There is no greater beauty on earth than to behold the will of the people be given voice without having to resort to violence. So let us pause for a moment to cherish the precious, and yes imperfect, beauty of our democracy. 
 For Kejriwal, the real challenge – of governance – begins now. He has changed the rules of the game, playing the role of an outsider with consummate political savvy. Whether his 'movement' can go national will depend on how wisely he runs Delhi. It will also depend on whether the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>, having extended support, is willing to give him a fair chance. Its decision to boycott the swearing-in ceremony does not bode well for the future. The party that helped give us this beauty we call democracy should know that it has diminished itself by its churlishness. It should also know that a little grace never hurt, even in politics.

The Day Aam Aadmi Had A Party: Arvind Kejriwal Takes Oaths, Hits All The Right Notes

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee </div></div>
TAKE Arvind Kejriwal's talk of "revolution" seriously. Back in June, crammed with this correspondent into a tiny Suzuki car in east Delhi, he predicted electoral triumph for his Aam Aadmi ("common man") anti-graft volunteers. It sounded fanciful at the time. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is just a few months old. Even as recently as late November Delhi's chief minister for the past 15 years, Sheila Dikshit, was roundly dismissing Mr Kejriwal as an irrelevance.
No longer. Thanks to Mr Kejriwal, Mrs Dikshit is out on her ear this week. Results from elections in five states delivered mostly misery for the ruling Congress party. In the national capital region (in effect a state) the AAP annihilated it. Mr Kejriwal himself toppled Mrs Dikshit in a constituency that she thought was cast-iron, crammed as it is with babus (civil servants) and presumed staunch Congress loyalists. Across Delhi Congress won just eight of 70 assembly seats, its worst-ever result.
The AAP, with a broom as its party symbol, swept to 28 seats, a stunning debut for a group of political amateurs. They had raised funds with text messages sent to millions who had earlier backed the anti-corruption protests of Anna Hazare, a Gandhian activist. In Delhi 120,000 unpaid volunteers knocked on doors to discuss inflation and graft. Two populist promises, to halve household electricity bills and provide 700 litres of free water, went down well. Word also spread in old-fashioned ways: every motorised rickshaw in the city seemed to carry a poster of a broom.
For now Delhi, a city of 16m and <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s wealthiest, lacks a government. The AAP squeezed in second behind the established Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which got 32 seats, just short of a majority. Neither is ready to form a minority administration, nor to cut a power-sharing deal, with a national election only a few months away (by May at the latest). So Delhi will probably need to vote again next year.
Can Mr Kejriwal's revolution break out beyond the capital? He has the ambition. He has studied Barack Obama's internet fund-raising, the appeal of a populist ex-cricketer, Imran Khan, to young Pakistanis, and how Arab spring protesters communicated through social media. But he is also aware how difficult it is to turn a protest movement into a political one. The charisma of Mr Hazare, for example, would have been a huge asset for the party. But he keeps his distance, calling all politics irredeemably filthy.
The limits to the AAP's potential are clear enough. Average incomes in Delhi are three times the national level, hinting at how the capital's common folk have different worries to poorer rural ones. Mr Kejriwal could do well in India's Hindi-speaking centre and north, notably in his native Haryana state, next to Delhi. But farther afield fewer would recognise him, despite his claim to have a network of offices in "every nook and corner" of the country.
Delhi is also unusual in that the fragmentation of politics seen in other states has come late to the capital region. It has never before had a party to garner non-Congress, non-BJP votes. Many other states have big third parties that dominate locally without securing a wider appeal. That leaves less space for newcomers such as the AAP to fill.
Yet the AAP will be relevant. The BJP expects to win the coming general election, but it needs strong support from middle-class city-dwellers who are most frustrated with Congress over corruption, a slowing economy and inflation. A strong showing for Mr Kejriwal complicates things. In Delhi the BJP would have won handsomely had it not been for the new party. Earlier polls suggested that many Aam Aadmi supporters would switch to the BJP for the national vote, but at the time it was assumed that the new party was not ready for a national push. After this week's events, who knows what is possible?

India's Left-Leaning, Anti-Graft Party Made A Stunning Debut 

One salient point of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s election manifesto was the war that his party (Bharatiya Janata Party) waged on black money. During the tenure of the UPA government, scams rolled out one after another, exposing way too many influential personalities who had made a quick buck. But the saga of Indian politicians stacking their booty in the <keyword id="43603" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Swiss-Bank">Swiss Bank</keyword> (among other financial institutions) isn’t limited to the past decade alone. 
 
So, it’s little wonder that the financial analysts are placing the bet on the final figure of the black money. An estimated $2 trillion is sitting snug in the banks abroad, but mostly in Swiss Bank. And the holders of this money, obviously billionaires, are steadily climbing the global charts of ‘influential personalities’ day after day. 
 
It was in 2011 that a WikiLeaks announcement released a list of Indian black money hoarders. In the same year, Anil Harish, one of India’s best minds on tax matters, spoke at length on the impact of hacking of nearly 700 accounts, held by powerful Indians at HSBC Geneva. The list released by WikiLeaks created uproar and it has been found that both resident and non-resident Indians are equally guilty. Charges included that of tax evasion while the hoarders chose to put away their wealth in the banks offshore. 
 
Without wasting much time after he assumed office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set up a Special Investigation Team, which has been approved by the Supreme Court of India. This has surely sent jitters down the spine of otherwise complacent businessmen and politicians who made hay while the sun shone, through illegal methods. 
 
A poverty-stricken India has been struggling to change its image from a country that was ‘developing’ for a long time to an economic ‘super power.’ According to World Bank reports, poverty in India is waiting to reach another level, with an estimated 11.8% of total population living below the line of poverty and earning less than $1.25 per day in 2014. 
 
The only breather is the fact that poverty has consistently reduced over the past few years. However, if and when the black money heads back to the country where it belongs, it will still be more than India’s GDP. 
 
The contradiction between black money and existing poverty levels notwithstanding, Indian hoarders will probably take solace in knowing that the phenomenon is not limited to their country alone. In fact, some of the biggest black money holders are in China and Russia. When a list of such violations was compiled taking each country into account, India stood third, with China leading the list. However, that would not bring any respite to the nation. 
 
Although the US and the UK have cracked down on their tax violators, India has never shown the determination to track down the black money. The Indian middle class turned angrier and joined hands with anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare when he waged a battle against rising corruption. 
 
India, Asia’s third largest economy, loses an estimated $60 trillion annually in taxes, as far as formal sectors and financial institutions are concerned. Independent studies and International Monetary Fund (IMF) data on trade flow also show that an annual amount of nearly $6 trillion cannot be accounted for. That this amount will go into individual accounts or fake trusts, is a known fact. 
 
Arun Kumar, author of The Black Economy In India, arrived at a total figure of $2 trillion when he was researching data for his book. A professor at the reputed Jawaharlal Nehru University, Kumar has been collating reports on black money from various sources. 
 
According to him, the $2 trillion stashed abroad is unaccounted for and has been illegally accumulated by evading taxes that rightfully belong to the country and its people. Moreover, the amount of the money hoarded calls for the dues (interest, penalty, etc., levied for tax evasion) and that will very well cross $600 billion. 
 
This has set the country back among the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) owing to the simple fact that although resourceful, India has not been able to post a vibrant tax collection report as against its GDP. This can seriously hamper the living conditions of the poor in the country, deprive businesses of necessary financial support and scale down India’s image in the long run. 
 
The government held an olive branch in the past to 700 HSBC Germany account holders who kept an undisclosed amount in their accounts aboard. Nearly 100 members made amends for it while the rest resisted the process. Apart from HSBC and Swiss Bank, Liechtenstein and British Virgin Islands are also offering safe havens for black money hoarders from various countries, including India and China. 
 
The gravity of the situation could well be understood from the fact that the largest number of foreign depositors in Swiss Bank is reportedly Indians. If this can change, the country is bound to witness prosperous days ahead.

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