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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

<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

<div type="image" title="Reference Image" msid="92667834" hostid="261" sizebytes="7482" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Reference Image&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>In what seemed as a real inspiration taken from the Bollywood potboiler 'Special 26', over a dozen people, impersonating as Anti-Corruption and Income Tax officials, conducted a raid in the national capital, an official said on Monday. The police have so far managed to nab four of the accused, including one woman, who have been identified as Gurjant Singh (31), <keyword id="531011" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="navjot-singh" source="Orion">Navjot Singh</keyword> (30), Satpal Singh (28) and <keyword id="258701" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gurpreet-kaur" source="Orion">Gurpreet Kaur</keyword> (30). Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), R. Sathiyasundaram, said a PCR call was received at around 6 p.m. on Sunday, informing that around 15 'Income Tax officials' have conducted a raid without the police and seized the mobile phones of all the family members. When the the complainant asked the accused to show a search warrant, the accused threatened the victims by saying that they had guns. "The accused then started to open the cupboards, beds etc. on the ground floor and the first floor. Some of them even molested the complainant," the <keyword id="59859" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dcp" source="Orion">DCP</keyword> said. The accused snatched the mobile phones of the family members, along with a hand bag containing one gold ornament and Rs 15,000 in cash, and fled from the spot. However, as the house occupants were shouting during the commotion, the neighbours heard their cries and informed the police. The police were able to nab four persons, while the rest of the accused fled from the spot. One Bolero car and ID cards of <keyword id="14367930" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="anti-corruption-foundation" source="Orion">Anti Corruption Foundation</keyword> of India were also recovered by the police. A search to nab the other accused is currently underway, the officer said. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/how-indian-auto-companies-like-bajaj-auto-tata-motors-hero-tvs-kia-performed-in-june-2022/slidelist/92657725.cms">Bajaj in top gear, Hero flat while Maruti declines – here’s how Indian auto cos performed in June 2022</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/bengaluru-delhi-hyderabad-and-mumbai-[%E2%80%A6]stainable-commercial-real-estate/articleshow/92656994.cmshttps://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/bengaluru-delhi-hyderabad-and-mumbai-[%E2%80%A6]stainable-commercial-real-estate/articleshow/92656994.cms">Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai among top-20 cities in Asia-Pacific for sustainable commercial real estate</a>

Delhi cops nab Special 26-like scamsters who pose as Income Tax officials

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> pacer <keyword id="1807915" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mohammed-siraj" source="Orion">Mohammed Siraj</keyword> had reported a "corrupt approach" to BCCI's Anti Corruption Unit (<keyword id="159581" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="acu" source="Orion">ACU</keyword>) from an unknown person, who wanted "inside news" about his team before Australia arrived in the country for a full-fledged tour in February this year. The India pacer, who is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing IPL, promptly reported the matter to BCCI's ACU unit. It is understood that the gambler had lost a lot of money during the India games and messaged <keyword id="261464" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="siraj" source="Orion">Siraj</keyword> out of sheer frustration. India had played white-ball home series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka in January-February before Australia arrived. India won the T20 series against Sri Lanka 2-1 before blanking them 3-0 in the ODI series. Against New Zealand, India won the ODI series 3-0 before triumphing in the T20 series with a 2-1 margin, with the Black Caps winning the lone game of the tour in Ranchi. "It wasn't a bookie who approached Siraj. He is a driver from Hyderabad who is addicted to betting on India matches. He had approached Siraj via WhatsApp after losing a lot of money on India games," a senior BCCI source privy to the developments told PTI on condition of anonymity. "Siraj reported the approach immediately. The law enforcement (Andhra Police) authorities had nabbed the person," the source added. The BCCI had beefed up its ACU network ever since the spot-fixing scandal, involving S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila and then Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, was unearthed in 2013. Now, each IPL team has a dedicated ACU official who stays in the same hotel and is there at the ground monitoring all the movements. Also, there is a mandatory ACU workshop for players on the dos and don'ts, and if any player fails to report a corrupt approach, there are sanctions in place. Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was suspended in 2021 for not reporting a corrupt approach during his IPL stint in the previous season. RCB are currently placed eighth with four points after two wins and three defeats. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/audi-india-reports-over-two-fold-jump-in-sales-in-january-march-quarter/articleshow/99607457.cms">Audi India reports over two-fold jump in sales in January-March quarter</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/10-little-known-facts-about-mukesh-ambani-the-worlds-12th-richest-man/slidelist/99607111.cms">10 little known facts about Mukesh Ambani - The world’s 12th richest man</a>

Siraj reported corrupt approach to BCCI ACU before Australia tour: BCCI source

<ul><li>Panaki Chandra Ghose was just appointed as the chairman of India’s first anti-corruption ombudsman or Lokpal. </li><li>The Lokpal will look into incidents of corruption within the Indian government. </li><li>But the scope of its investigation is limited since it’s not allowed to investigate cases related to foreign affairs, space and defence.</li></ul>India’s first chairman of the Lokpal or anti-corruption ombudsman, Pinaki Chandra Ghose, is going to have his hands full as he takes on his new role. He’s already served as a former Supreme Court judge and is currently a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Corruption has been a burgeoning topic in India — especially with Modi’s recent #chowkidar campaign on Twitter — but there’s little to suggest to actual on-ground improvement. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), India’s score only improved by one point between 2017 and 2018. In fact, the global watchdog pegs India as one of the worst <a href="https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018">offenders</a> in the Asia-Pacific region. It’s <a href="https://www.prsindia.org/media/articles-by-prs-team/lokpal-act-3095">unclear</a> whether the Lokpal will be looking into petty corruption or big-ticket corruption as its primary mandate. Deterring the problem from both ends is important in a country like India where, on the one hand, more than 62% of Indians have paid off a public official for a job and, on the other hand, you have the big-ticket scams like the allocation of funds during the Commonwealth Games in 2010. To probe or not to probe? While finally having a Lokpal in place might be good for the general public, one of sectors most vulnerable to corruption — is aerospace and defense and one that the ombudsman can’t touch. According to an Ernst and Young report, aerospace and defence is perceived to be the third most vulnerable sector to corruption. This means that incidents like the Rafale Deal or the BOFORS case — some of the most contentious armed deals in the country — won’t come under the Lokpal’s purview. But, on the other hand, the 2G spectrum case or ‘Coalgate’ — where the allocation of resources came into question — would be incidents that the Lokpal would look into. One of the more recent corruption allegations were actually within India’s Central Bureau of Investigation where Alok Verma, the CBI director and his deputy, Rakesh Asthana both accused the other of being corrupt. Both were, subsequently, asked to resign from their posts at the bureau. The investigation is still pending and several other senior officers have also been put on ‘indefinite leave’ until the matter is sorted. And corruption isn’t limited to India’s borders either. According to the ‘Export Corruption Report’ by Transparency International, India among four countries that has ‘little or no enforcement’ in place to check against against foreign bribery. But, then again, the Lokpal is restricted from looking into incidents of corruption when it comes to foreign affairs. India already has the Central Vigilance Commission to address governmental corruption but even though it’s an autonomous body, it’s not an investigative agency. And, the Prevention of Corruption Act is which aimed at combating corruption in the government has largely been misused due to Section 13(1)d, which allowed honest officials to be prosecuted serving as deterrent to bold decision making.

Here’s what India’s first anti-corruption ombudsman is up against

As the final five phases of polls draw closer, rift among <keyword id="20101713" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="INDIA-bloc-partners" source="keywords">INDIA bloc partners</keyword>, <keyword id="21533469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress-Left-combine" source="keywords">Congress-Left combine</keyword> and the <keyword id="19942089" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TMC" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="TMC" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="TMC">TMC</keyword>, which are fighting separately has intensified, triggering a fierce contest across half of the remaining 36 constituencies in West Bengal driven by local issues such as <keyword id="20074422" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sandeshkhali" source="keywords">Sandeshkhali</keyword> and the SSC scam. TMC's decision to contest independently in the state, rather than as part of the bloc, has led to a three-way contest, with the other contenders being the BJP and the Congress-Left alliance. Nevertheless, both TMC and Congress have asserted that they are part of the INDIA bloc at the national level and are authentic representatives of the opposition front in Bengal. Political analysts suggest that without a dominant national narrative like national security after the 2019 Pulwama attacks, local concerns such as corruption allegations, the cancellation of School Service Commission (SSC) jobs, incidents in Sandeshkhali and implementation of the <keyword id="19965573" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Citizenship-Amendment-Act" source="keywords">Citizenship Amendment Act</keyword> (CAA) are altering election dynamics. Maidul Islam, a political scientist at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, remarked, "Till a few months ago, it seemed the elections in Bengal will be a bipolar contest between the TMC and BJP. But with issues like corruption and Sandeshkhali gaining prominence, the Left-Congress alliance is fast gaining traction in several seats and turning the polls into a three-cornered contest in at least 18-20 LS segments." He said besides the two and three seats in Malda and Murshidabad districts, where TMC and Congress secured two each and the BJP one in 2019, there are 13 seats spread across South Bengal, where the TMC and the Left-Congress alliance are engaging in intense competition. "It's not that the Left-Congress will win many seats, but in segments where their vote share is above 10 per cent, there is a likelihood that they might influence the outcome, to the disadvantage of either the TMC or the BJP, if they manage to secure two per cent more votes," Islam added. According to sources in TMC and CPI(M), the electoral battleground extends beyond Malda and Murshidabad, encompassing Lok Sabha segments like Dum Dum, Srerampore, Arambagh, Hooghly, Howrah, Barrackpore, Bardhaman-Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, Tamluk, Kolkata North, and Jadavpur, all poised for a three-cornered fight. Notably, eight of these seats were won by TMC and the remaining by BJP in the 2019 parliamentary polls. "The shift in dynamics presents the Congress-Left alliance as a significant player, and its emergence complicates the electoral narrative, transcending the conventional TMC versus BJP dichotomy," political analyst Subhomoy Moitra said. While the Left Front is contesting 30 seats, the Congress has fielded candidates in 12 out of 42 seats. "We wanted an alliance with the Congress, but they were delaying the seat-sharing arrangements, so we decided to go alone. Now the Left-Congress alliance is helping the BJP by trying to eat into our votes," remarked TMC leader Santanu Sen. According to TMC leaders, the breakup of INDIA alliance in Bengal has both electoral advantages and disadvantages. "After the Left and Congress alliance fell apart in West Bengal in 2019, it had led to a four-cornered contest with BJP bagging the entire chunk of the anti-TMC votes in the state," they said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP bagged 18 seats and its vote share rose from 17 to 40 per cent. Meanwhile, despite a 3 per cent rise in vote share, the TMC lost 12 seats, dropping from 34 to 22. The Left drew a blank with a vote share decline from 24 per cent to 6 per cent, and the Congress lost two seats, shrinking its vote share from 9.5 per cent to 5 per cent and bagging just two seats. "Local issues such as corruption and SSC scam are helping the Left-Congress in the state as there is anger among a section of people against the TMC and also against the BJP over the perception of a tacit understanding," a TMC leader said. Analysts observe that <keyword id="43868" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mamata-banerjee" source="Orion">Mamata Banerjee</keyword>'s intensified criticism of Left and Congress, accusing them of aiding BJP, and the ensuing sharp responses from CPI(M) and Congress, alleging a secret pact between TMC and BJP, as indicative of the growing significance of Left-Congress alliance. Data from various local elections and by-polls conducted after 2021 assembly elections indicate a shift in anti-TMC votes as there has been a resurgence of Left-Congress combine. Incidentally, the BJP had witnessed a decline in its vote share as compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha and 38 per cent in 2021 assembly polls. In 2023, violence scarred panchayat polls which covered nearly 70 per cent of the state's electorate, the TMC had bagged 51 per cent of votes whereas the BJP had bagged 22 per cent. The Left-Congress-ISF alliance had, however, bagged 23 per cent votes. The ISF this time, however, has decided to contest alone in 17 seats. Congress leader Suvankar Sarkar emphasized, "People are disenchanted with the TMC and the BJP, as they are both sides of the same coin. People are coming out in large numbers to support the Left-Congress candidates." CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty expressed confidence in the Left-Congress alliance's potential to deliver surprising results in the elections, claiming initial success in breaking bipolar politics in Bengal. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar downplayed the significance of the rift in opposition alliance and the three-cornered fight in various seats. "People know that BJP is only fighting TMC's misrule in Bengal. Those who want to vote against TMC, will vote for us only just like in the 2019 and 2021 polls," he said. Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty suggested that TMC stands to gain the most from the three-cornered contest. In minority pockets, the Left-Congress alliance could dent TMC's vote base, potentially aiding BJP's prospects, he noted.

West Bengal Elections: Rift among INDIA bloc partners triggers three-cornered intense contests

<ul><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> ranks lowest among non-OECD countries in terms of ‘<keyword id="6878450" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="little-or-no-enforcement">little or no enforcement</keyword>’ against <keyword id="6878449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="exporting-corruption">exporting corruption</keyword>. </li><li>While India hasn’t conducted any investigations into foreign bribery, Indian entities have come under scrutiny from other governments. </li><li>While the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Companies Act 2013 to address corruption, there is no targeted legislation against foreign bribery.</li></ul>A report by <keyword id="72551" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Transparency-International">Transparency International</keyword> Global found that India is a part of 22 countries with ‘little or no enforcement’ against <a href="https://www.transparency.org/whatwedo/publication/exporting_corruption_2018">exporting corruption</a>. The <a href="https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/exporting-corruption-2018">report specifically mentions</a> China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore as countries with the worst performance on the index. This is particularly worrisome since cumulatively these countries account for over 2% of world exports. Data dive The report shows how over the period of 2014 to 2017, there have been no foreign bribery cases filed or investigations conducted. That being said, the report also highlights that while the Indian government may not have been vigilant, Indian entities and individuals have been investigated by foreign governments in connection to alleged bribery charges. Even if there have been investigations conducted, it’s impossible to know because the authorities do not disclose any such information publically or on request. It’s also unclear whether there’s a dedicated system in place to collect data on foreign bribery within the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Ignoring policy Back in 2015, the Indian Law Commission did submit a report to the Indian government proposing changes to how foreign bribery cases are addressed. The draft bill included recommendations like including a prison sentence of up to seven years and higher sanctions. Come 2018, that bill has never made it to the parliament for a vote. That being said, the parliament did pass the Prevention of Corruption Act in July that covered foreign firms working in India. Even so, foreign bribery is yet to be exclusively criminalised. Even the Companies Act 2013 takes bribery into account but has several loopholes and vague articles that can be easily circumvented. Recommendations In addition to analysing the issue of foreign bribery, the report also suggests how the problem can be countered. One of those measures is initiating enforcement against foreign bribery and adjoining offences in line with the UN Convention against Corruption. Effective legislation should be put in place to protect whistleblowers in the private sector. And, in order for implementation to be effective, India should also publish the data and enforcement results of these case resolutions. It has also been recommended that the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development - Working Group on Bribery (OECD-WGB) execute efforts to persuade India and the other nations to become a part of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, inclusive of effort carried out within the G20.

India’s soft against foreign bribery: Report

A French judge has been appointed to lead a "highly sensitive" judicial investigation into alleged "<keyword id="46183" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Corruption">corruption</keyword> and favouritism" in the Rs 59,000 crore <keyword id="6381048" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rafale">Rafale</keyword> fighter jet deal with India, French investigative website Mediapart reported. Following the development, Congress chief spokesperson <keyword id="498878" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Randeep-Surjewala">Randeep Surjewala</keyword> on Saturday urged Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> to come forward and order a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal. "Corruption in the Rafale deal has come out clearly now. The stand of the Congress party and <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> has been vindicated today after the French government has ordered a probe," he told reporters at a press conference. However, there was no immediate reaction from the Indian government or the BJP. The Mediapart said the probe into the inter-governmental deal signed in 2016 was formally opened on June 14. "A judicial probe into suspected corruption has been opened in France over the 7.8-billion-euro sale to India in 2016 of 36 Dassault-built Rafale fighter aircraft," the Mediapart reported on the latest development on the controversial deal. It said the investigation has been initiated by the national financial prosecutors' office (PNF). The judicial investigation has been ordered by France's national financial prosecutors' office, following Mediapart's fresh reports in April of alleged wrongdoings in the deal as well as a complaint filed by French NGO Sherpa that specialises in financial crime. "The highly sensitive probe into the inter-governmental deal signed off in 2016 was formally opened on June 14th," the media report said. Mediapart journalist Yann Philippin, who filed a series of reports on the deal, said a first complaint was "buried" in 2019 by a former PNF chief. "The judicial investigation was finally opened following the revelations of the investigation #RafalePapers of @mediapart and a new complaint from @Asso_Sherpa. A 1st complaint was buried in 2019 by the former PNF boss, Eliane Houlette," he tweeted. In April, Mediapart, citing an investigation by the country's anti-corruption agency, reported that Dassault Aviation had paid about one million Euros to an Indian middleman. Dassault Aviation has rejected the allegations of corruption, saying no violations were reported in the frame of the contract. The <keyword id="105903" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance">National Democratic Alliance</keyword> (NDA) government had inked a Rs 59,000-crore deal on September 23, 2016, to procure 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation after a nearly seven-year exercise to procure 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the <keyword id="15141" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> did not fructify during the <keyword id="83449" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Progressive-Alliance">United Progressive Alliance</keyword> (UPA) regime. The Congress accused the government of massive irregularities in the deal, alleging that it was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government during the negotiations for the MMRCA. Prior to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the Congress raised several questions about the deal and alleged corruption but the government rejected all the charges. SEE ALSO- <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bharatpes-banking-licence-digits-funding-mswipes-new-ceo-and-more-mega-deals-and-launches-in-indias-fintech-space-/slidelist/84085401.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">BharatPe’s banking licence, Digit’s funding, Mswipe’s new CEO and more -- mega deals and launches in India’s fintech space</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/google-crypto-tokens-binances-regulatory-troubles-free-nfts-and-more/slidelist/84086617.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Google’s crypto tokens, Binance’s regulatory troubles, free NFTs and more — Here’s what happened in the world of crypto this past week</a>

India's deal to buy Rafale fighter jets will face a judicial probe for alleged corruption in France

<ul><li>The Prevention of <keyword id="46183" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Corruption">Corruption</keyword> (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on July 24th.</li><li>Some changes to the act were necessary, such as imposing a fixed timeline of 2 years within which to decide corruption cases and criminalising bribe-givers.</li><li>However, the bill affords greater <keyword id="18088" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Protection">protection</keyword> to government officials by preventing investigating agencies from initiating an inquiry against them independently. </li></ul> On July 24th, the lower house of Indian <keyword id="6354721" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliament">Parliament</keyword>, the Lok Sabha, approved a number of amendments to the <keyword id="6364753" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prevention-of-Corruption-Act">Prevention of Corruption Act</keyword> of 1988, paving the way for the passage of the bill. The upper house had already approved the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill five days prior. Some of the changes to the act were long overdue, such as imposing a fixed timeline of 2 years within which to decide corruption cases, criminalising bribe-givers as opposed to just bribe-takers and allowing companies as a whole to be accused. However, a lot of provisions of the act were diluted, especially with respect to the investigation of government officials. Approval before inquiry The bill prevents any investigating authority or official from initiating an inquiry into any and all government officials, current or retired, without adequate approvals from a sanctioning authority, which is to be set up by the central government. Prior to the amendment, investigating officials could commence their inquiries independently other than for officials above the rank of Joint Secretary. This shield extends to all cases other than those in which the official is caught red-handed accepting a bribe. This is not usually what happens at all in most corruption cases. Officials receive payments through offshore banking channels or kickbacks in other ways, such as contract awards to family members or a promotion. The protection is beneficial in some aspects, such as cases wherein honest loan officers at state-run banks grant loans to companies that eventually default on them. However, it enables senior officials to pass the buck to their subordinates a lot easier, given that they also have immunity from arrest. The increased protection to government officials could also discourage whistleblowers from coming forward, given that it can take a while for approvals from a sanctioning authority to come. An additional safeguard provided to government officials concerns the notion of “undue advantage”, which has been added to the definition of a “corrupt public official”. The bill places the burden of proof of “undue advantage” squarely on the investigating authority. Unless it can be proven that the official benefited significantly from the action and that he or she specifically intended to carry out corrupt actions, the case falls apart. Hence, while the amended Act still criminalises corruption, it makes the conviction in corruption cases for government officials a lot harder.

India just passed an anti-corruption bill that offers greater protection to government officials

<ul class="summary-list"><li>India's government called off "Cow Hug Day" that was meant to replace the Valentine's Day holiday.</li><li>The government said Valentine's Day goes against traditional Indian values.</li></ul>A campaign encouraging Indian citizens to "hug a cow" instead of celebrating the 'western' Valentine's Day was called off on Friday after the announcement was <a href="https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1623360956133777408?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ridiculed online</a>. In a <a href="https://www.awbi.in/awbi-pdf/Circulars/Cow%20Hug%20Day1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Wednesday, the Animal Welfare Board of India declared February 14 should be "Cow Hug Day," saying that "hugging cows will bring emotional richness and increase individual and collective happiness." The cow is <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/holy-cow-hinduisms-sacred-animal/1811/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worshiped as holy</a> in the Hindu tradition, the majority religion in the country. Replacing Valentine's Day with a new holiday would help counteract the "dazzle of western civilization" that has made Indian "physical culture and heritage almost forgotten," the statement said. This appeal, however, is widely thought to be a transparent push to promote the government's Hindu nationalist values. Many on social media <a href="https://twitter.com/AmarDeepSinghD/status/1623639010592665602">mocked the unusual statement</a> as seeming like a <a href="https://twitter.com/sumanthraman/status/1623331676805017600">spoof or parody</a>. By Friday — while the board was not explicit in their reasoning — the government quickly U-turned, <a href="https://www.awbi.in/awbi-pdf/Circulars/Withdrawal%20of%20appeal%20of%20Cow%20Hug%20Day.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrawing the appeal</a> for "Cow Hug Day."The board did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst, told the Associated Press "Cow Hug Day" was "absolutely crazy, defying logic.""The decision to withdraw the government appeal was to prevent the politics of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) from being ridiculed in the face of severe criticism from all quarters," he said.While Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular in the country in recent years, Hindu nationalists see the holiday as encouraging "corrupt" morals. Hannah Ellis-Petersen reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/09/india-urges-citizens-to-hug-a-cow-on-valentines-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in The Guardian</a> that as the prevalence of celebrating Valentine's Day increases in India so does anti-Valentine's rhetoric which is often "targeted at women, alleging that the holiday encourages female promiscuity and vulgar behavior." Far-right Hindu groups have vandalized card stores selling Valentine's day gifts, burned Valentine's flowers, and chased and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/indian-govt-withdraws-appeal-hug-cows-valentines-day-97031006#:~:text=The%20Animal%20Welfare%20Board%20had,goes%20against%20traditional%20Indian%20values." target="_blank" rel="noopener">targeted couples holding hands</a> on the holiday. There has also been a recent emergence of so-called <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/02/19/india-vigilante-cow-protection-groups-attack-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"cow vigilante" groups </a>made up of Hindu nationalists who <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/india-politics-religion-cows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threaten and assault Muslim farmers</a> in the country who own cattle. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP party came to power in India in 2014, they have "legitimized discrimination against religious minorities and enabled violent Hindu nationalism," <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/19/india-government-policies-actions-target-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to </a>Human Rights Watch.Hindus make up about 80% of the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/9/indian-govt-says-hug-cows-on-valentines-day-twitter-cracks-up">country's nearly 1.4 billion people</a>. Muslims make up 14% of the demographic, while the remaining 6% of the population is made up of mostly Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.

Indian government cancels 'Cow Hug Day' anti-Valentine's celebration after it was widely mocked

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal Arvind Kejriwal (C), leader of the newly formed Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, shakes hands with a party volunteer outside the party office in New Delhi October 1, 2013. </div></div>An anti-corruption hotline launched by the Indian capital's new graft-busting government was overwhelmed by thousands of calls on its first day, with the city's top politician saying the response exceeded "all expectations."
India's corruption fighter and newly elected chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the graft hotline aimed at stopping rampant corruption among bureaucrats received 3,904 calls in the first seven hours of operation on Thursday.
"We congratulate the people of Delhi. Everyone has become an anti-corruption 'sting' operator," the leader of the Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, told reporters late Thursday.
The number of callers "exceeded all expectations", he added.
"This will make corrupt people fearful of taking a bribe," he added.
Indians routinely complain they are forced to pay bribes to obtain everything from marriage certificates, driving licenses to death certificates.
The hotline, open from 8am to 10pm, counsels people what to do if any government official asks for a bribe to do his duty.
Kejriwal said the hotline centre could handle just 824 of the calls Thursday and it would double staff to 30 to handle the flood of callers.
Critics have said they fear the anti-corruption activism being encouraged by the new state government could descend into a form of vigilantism.
The Mail Today newspaper reported Friday that sales of spy-cams and other surveillance equipment had surged as citizens looked to trap corrupt officials on camera.
Kejriwal's performance is being closely watched, with some saying his party's advent could mark the start of a bigger movement to break the grip of the two main parties, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, on national politics.
The Aam Aadmi Party plans to contest seats in the general elections due in a few months after its success in the Delhi state polls in which it routed the scandal-tainted Congress party which rules at the national level.
The symbol of the rookie party, founded just a year ago, is a broom -- to sweep away India's endemic culture of corruption and bribery.
Kejriwal has told citizens to record conversations with corrupt bureaucrats and use the recordings as "proof" to complain to the anti-corruption squad.
As a result of the calls, "we carried out 'stings' in 38 cases. We are confident of the results," he said.
"Everyone has a phone and can send you to prison," Kejriwal said in a warning to bribe-seeking bureaucrats.
<div class="nc_footer">
Copyright (2014) AFP. All rights reserved.
</div>

India's New Anti-Corruption Hotline Immediately Overwhelmed By Calls

In a shocking turn of events in the <keyword id="3212197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rohith-Vemula-Suicide">Rohith Vemula suicide</keyword> case and the uproar that has followed, reports suggest that most central universities of the country would probably fail the anti-discrimination test. 
 To know whether <keyword id="6510139" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Universities">Indian universities</keyword> actually practice anti-discrimination or not, an assessment was done for all central universities at the conference of central university vice-chancellors. The results, one might ask? Not even a single central university has appointed an ombudsman, with only eight of the 46 central universities having a grievance redressal cell for complaints in this matter. 
 As per the assessment of the <keyword id="51613" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="hrd-ministry">HRD ministry</keyword>, Indian universities came out to have done extensive violation of regulations, when it comes to the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulation 2012. 
 
These regulations demand that institutions should necessarily set up an equal opportunity cell, appoint anti-discrimination officers, declare mechanism for implementation of the regulations and set up grievance redressal cells. 
 
However, only 10 universities have notified a mechanism for implementation of these regulations, while only 5 have got them working. Equal Opportunities Commission has been set up by only 19 central universities and just 13 of these actually work. An anti-discrimination officer has been appointed only 10 universities, and again, only 5 of them work. 
 
The gross enrolment ratio (GER) for various social groups as per a pan India survey for higher education is all the way more shocking. While the GER for all groups stood at 23.6, it is 18.5 for SCs and 13.3 for STs in 2014-15. Even though these numbers are up from last year’s 17.1for SCs and 11.3 for STs, there is still a long road to achieving success in actual terms. 
 
The HRD ministry has also alerting university administrations about increased diversity in campuses, leading to an amalgamation of different cultures and requirign 'proactive integration' through inclusive structures, empathy, support and effective monitoring. 
 Talking of <keyword id="6387481" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hyderabad-Central-University">Hyderabad Central University</keyword>, the fact-finding committee has come up with results that say that the essential institutional redressal mechanisms for handling student grievances and problems "seems to be non-functional/defunct and is responsible for enhancing the feeling of deprivation and discrimination among the students from the socially and economically weaker sections".

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