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<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

<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

The Supreme Court has said that the Constitution has vested enormous powers on the "fragile shoulder" of the <keyword id="50926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Election-Commissioner" source="Orion">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> (CEC) and the two Election Commissioners (ECs) and stressed on the "fair and transparent mechanism" so that the "best man" is appointed as the CEC. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Justice KM Joseph told Attorney General R Venkataramani, who appeared in the matter on behalf of the Centre, that it is important that through a "fairly good procedure someone of strong character is appointed" as the CEC. Venkataramtold the bench that nobody can have any objection to it and even the government is not going to oppose the appointment of the best man, but the question is how can it be done. "Enormous power has been vested on the fragile shoulder of three men (two ECs and the CEC). We have to find the best man for the post of CEC. The question is how do we find that best man and how to appoint that best man," the apex court said. The bench also comprising justices Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar, said that the absence of a law for the appointment of Election Commissioners has resulted in an "alarming trend". It pointed out that Article 324 (2) mandates the framing of law for the selection and appointment of CEC and ECs but nothing had been done in the last seven decades. "This is how the silence of the Constitution is being exploited," the bench added. Justice Joseph remarked, "It's a very, very disturbing trend. After TN Seshan (who was CEC for six years between 1990 and 1996), the slide began when no person has been given a full term. What the government has been doing is that because it knows the date of birth, it ensures that anyone who is appointed as the CEC does not get his full six years... Be it the UPA government or this government, this has been a trend." The apex court was hearing pleas challenging the constitutionality of the present appointment process of CEC and ECs and contended that appointments were being done as per the whims and fancies of the executive. The petitions sought the creation of an independent collegium or selection committee for future appointments of CEC and two other ECs. The petitions stated that unlike the appointments of the CBI director or Lokpal, where the leader of the Opposition and judiciary have a say, the Centre unilaterally appoints the members of the Election Commission. The apex court referred PILs to the Constitution bench on October 23, 2018. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/inox-green-energy-services-lists-at-6-92-discount-lower-than-grey-market-expectations/articleshow/95703045.cms">Inox Green Energy Services lists at 6.92% discount, lower than grey market expectations</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-nifty50-open-higher-amid-positive-global-cues-nykaa-inox-green-adani-enterprises-among-stocks-in-focus/articleshow/95702219.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 open higher amid positive global cues: Nykaa, Inox Green, Adani Enterprises among stocks in focus</a>

Fair, transparent mechanism required to appoint someone of strong character as Chief Election Commissioner: SC

Sakht jitne darkht the hairat mein pad gaye 
Aisi chali hawa ki jad se ukhad gaye 
(The wind blew so gustily that all strong trees were uprooted and were left wondering.) 
 The above shayari sums up how the wind in the form of the <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (<keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword>) uprooted the seemingly invincible lotus of the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>) under the leadership of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo. In a first major setback for the BJP after coming to power at the Centre last year, the party could not manage even a two-digit figure in the Delhi Assembly elections. On the other hand, AAP made almost a clean sweep, winning 53 and leading in 14 seats. 
 
The magnanimity of AAP’s victory took even political pundits by surprise. Although all exit polls had forecast that AAP would win the elections, none of them had projected such a massive victory. India Today-Cicero exit poll had estimated 38-46 seats for AAP and 19-27 for the BJP in the 70-member Assembly. The exit poll conducted by Chanakya for News 24 had projected 48 seats for AAP and 22 to the BJP. 
 Meanwhile, the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> was totally decimated and it could not even open its account. This is testimony to the fact that AAP has eaten into the vote share of the Congress. 
 
AAP’s promise of ‘corruption-free’ government caught the people’s fancies and it scored over the BJP’s rhetoric of development. AAP offered better and ethical politics, which is not there to be found in the conventional political parties. It also has a policy of not compromising on four C’s of the prospective candidates: corruption, character, communalism and criminal cases. For instance, it cancelled the ticket of its candidate from the Wazirpur constituency after receiving a negative report about him. 
 
Having won the people’s mandate by such an overwhelming majority, now AAP needs to live up to the expectations of the people. And this is what lies in their agenda now. “I had told you that anything less than 36 seats would be like a defeat for us. Now that we have won, we will focus on implementing our agenda, and the Jan Lokpal will be on the top of that,” senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who is likely to become the home minister, told Business Insider. 
 
It remains to be seen whether the two-year-old party justifies the immense faith that the people of Delhi have reposed in it. 
Image: Indiatimes

AAP ki aandhi uproots BJP’s lotus

With Assembly elections likely to be held early next year, the political temperature in Delhi is heating up. The <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) has already announced its first list of candidates and the second list is expected anytime. In an exclusive interview to Business Insider’s Manish Kumar, senior AAP leader <keyword id="6354681" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manish-Sisodia">Manish Sisodia</keyword> dismissed Congress as a “finished party” and said that <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> is faceless in the state. Here are the edited excerpts: 

	The Delhi Assembly elections are likely to be held in February-March next year. What would be Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) strategy in this election? What would be the key issues on which you will attack the BJP and the Congress? 
	Congress is a finished party. It has only done kukarm (bad deeds) wherever it got power. People have started hating Congress. It’s not about disliking it. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to fill this gap. But if you talk about Delhi, BJP is too scared in Delhi. I am not saying this as an opponent of the BJP. I am saying this on the basis of facts. If you see the recent elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, none of the states had a viable option to the BJP. Hence, it fought the elections with full confidence. But it Delhi, it had been dilly-dallying on holding the elections. But now they have no option. This is for the first time that it has asked its MPs to come to Delhi and work here. It did not do so in Maharashtra and Haryana elections. This is because BJP is afraid of losing in Delhi. That is why it is deploying its 300 MPs in Delhi. 
	 
 

	Will the Jan Lok Pal Bill continue to remain in your agenda?

	Jan Lokpal, honest governance and strict action against those who indulge in corruption have been our planks and will always be. Hum hain hi isliye. Had any other party worked honestly, we would not have entered in politics. They forced us to join politics. Otherwise, I would have been pursuing my career in journalism. 
	 
	 

	Corruption has almost become a way of life. You can’t even get a driving license without paying bribe. If you promise to make Delhi like Shanghai, New York or Singapore, it has no meaning for a common man. It is just a political gimmick. For a person who is planning to open a shop, what matters to him is that he does not have to pay bribe for this. Everybody has a certain expectation from this city, and it is very important to meet these expectations. People want such education system where they do not have to run from pillar to post for their children’s admission… they are not compelled to sell their land to pay heavy donations. Nobody talks about these fundamental issues. Instead, parties come up with fancy dreams… Shanghai bana denge, Singapore bana denge. Vision is not Shanghai; vision is living. 
	 
	 

	The vote share of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swelled from 33% in the last year’s Assembly election to 46% in this year’s Lok Sabha election. On the other hand, AAP's vote share increased to just 33% from 29%. How will you overcome this huge difference? That was due to the Modi wave. People wanted to elect <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>. But this time, people are not going to elect Modi. 
	 
	 

	In case of another hung Assembly even after fresh elections, would you accept or extend support to either BJP or Congress? 
	 

	We never think haar gaye to kya karenge. We only focus on jeet gaye to kya karenge. This is our philosophy. 
	 
	 

	I am not talking about losing the election. My question to you is about hung Assembly. 
	 

	That may be your perception. For us, anything less than 36 seats would mean losing the election. 
	 
	 

	Will you play the role of a constructive opposition if you don’t manage to win 36 seats? 
	 

	We don’t think on this line. This is not our philosophy. You are forcing me to think on this line. 
	 
	 

	Many leaders like Shazia Ilmi, MS Dhir etc. have ditched AAP. How do you think this would impact the party’s prospects? Does it not demoralise workers and volunteers? 
	 

	Can you name five leaders who were effective in AAP and left the party? (We named four: Shazia Ilmi, MS Dhir, Captain Gopinath and Maulana Qasmi, and this is how he responded) Maulana Qasmi was a member of India Against Corruption. He was caught spying red-handed and was thrown out. I am questioning the media, which is portraying that AAP toot-phoot rahi hai (AAP is disintegrating.) Can anyone from the media name five influential leaders who quit the party? I am throwing an open challenge to all mediapersons. The picture that the media is painting is that AAP mein bhagdad machi hai... leaders are flocking away from the party. 
	 
	 

	The Narendra Modi government has just completed six months. What is your take on his stint in power so far? 
	 

	He speaks very well. When he talks, it seems things are going to change. But when it comes to implementation, not even a single inch has moved. Delhi is just under Modi’s nose. In the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), you have to pay bribe to get your work done. Like I said earlier, you can’t get even a driving license without kickback. 
	 
	 

	Modi started the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan with great fanfare. It was a good initiative which we too supported. But his own party leaders were caught committing fraud in the name of safai. Has he taken any action against them? No. Has he taken any action against the councillors who are not doing their job? No. So, when it comes to delivery, not a single inch has moved forward. 
	 
	 

	How do you view the Modi government’s efforts with regard to bringing back the <keyword id="6356023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Black-Money">black money</keyword> stashed abroad? 
	 

	During his election campaign, Modi used to say that there is so much black money that if it comes to the country, every person would get Rs 15-20 lakh. In a stark contradiction to that, when he talks about black money in his ‘Man Ki Baat’ programme, he says that he has no idea how much black money is there. Then why was he lying about giving Rs 15-20 lakh to every person? This is the biggest lie. Or maybe he is lying now under the pressure of black money owners. Either he was lying before the election or he is lying now. Both of his statements cannot be true. 
	 
	 

	How much impact will Modi’s personality cult have on Assembly elections in Delhi? 
	 

	Of course, personality cult is a fact. But ultimately, what runs the life of people is governance. A person may speak well or look very good, but he needs to deliver too. 
	 
	 

	In Maharashtra and Haryana, if the BJP did not have any face, its opposition had corrupt faces… most hated, most rejected faces. The situation is same in Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. But this is not so in Delhi. Here, there is a face and people have an alternative to the BJP.

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