Rishabh Rastogirishabhrastogi@live.com

What is Corruption?

• It is not easy to define corruption. But in a narrow sense, corruption is mostly concerned with bribery and it takes several forms.

• Corruption is a global phenomenon and it is omnipresent.

• Corruption has progressively increased and is now rampant in our society.

Causes Of Corruption:• Corruption is caused as well as increased because of the

change in the value system and ethical qualities of men who administer. The old ideals of morality, service and honesty are regarded as an achromatic.

• In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to resort to the road of corruption. Graduates from IIMs with no experience draw a far handsome salary than what government secretaries draw.

• Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level. Big industrialist fund politicians to meet high cost of election and ultimately to seek personal favor. Bribery to politicians buys influence, and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people, who are slogging for two times meal.

Why India’s voice started rising against ‘Corruption’?

• 2G spectrum scam resulting into a loss to the exchequer and illegal manipulation of the spectrum allocation process

• Wikileaks of the US embassy secret cables• 2010 fake housing loan scam• Adarsh Housing Society (Mumbai) Scam• 2010 Commonwealth Games Corruption Controversy

Anna Hazare’s Protest for Jan Lokpal Bill

• On 5 April 2011, Anna Hazare initiated a movement by beginning fast unto death at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

• Movement gained momentum with support of India’s youth• Protests erupted in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and many

other places

Understanding Jan Lokpal Bill

• In India, the Jan Lokpal Bill is a draft anti-corruption bill that would create an independent body

• It would have the power to prosecute bureaucrats• The bill was drafted by former IPS officer, Kiran Bedi, Shanti Bhushan,

Justice N. Santosh Hedge, Advocate Prashant Bhushan and former chief election commisioner J.M. Lyngdoh

• The first Lokpal Bill was passed in 1969 but failed to get through Rajya Sabha for coming 42 years

Draft Lokpal Bill 2010

Draft Lokpal Bill 2010 was created under the ruling Congress Party which swayed a way

apart from the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Favorable Public Opinion

“Hazzare represents millions of people in this country whose patience with the current corrupt regime is reaching its limit”,

A. Seshan, via e-mail

“It is time politicians responded to Anna Hazare's demands”, Shankar

“Every Indian should come out and support the cause for which Anna Hazare risks death. If we do not rise now to face the

moment of truth, we never will”, Anurag

Unfavorable Public Opinion

“The movement behind the Jan Lokpal Bill is crossing the lines of reasonableness. It is premised on an institutional imagination

that is at best naïve”, Pratap Mehta, political analyst

“The seeds of authoritarianism”, Neera Chandhoke, Indian Express Group

“The Jan Lokpal Bill: Good intentions and the road to hell”, Amba Salelkar, Practicing Lawyer

Features of Proposed Bill

• A central government anti-corruption institution called "Lokpal", supported by state institutions called "Lokayukta" will be set up

• Lokpal will be completely independent of the government • Members will be appointed through a transparent and participatory process• Discussions and video recordings shall be made public• A list of cases disposed with brief details will be published on the website • Investigations in each case will have to be completed in one year• Any loss caused by a corrupt person to the government will be recovered at the

time of conviction

• Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers if any citizen’s work is not accomplished within a prescribed time period

• Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and if found to be substantive, will result in his dismissal within two months

• The existing anti-corruption agencies (CVC, departmental vigilance and the anti-corruption branch of CBI) will be merged into Lokpal

• The agency will also provide protection to whistleblowers who alert about potential corruption cases

Keeping the features of proposed Jan Lokpal Bill in mind, can we really “ensure” the continuation of anti-corruption machinery?

Can we “ensure” honest officials for keeping the committee clean and genuinely helping common man?

What is India’s future with the Jan Lokpal Bill?

Thank You!

A single person cannot fight against a widespread disease like CORRUPTION, which is spread even at the bureaucratic level.

So if you are willing to fight raise your voice, and lets join our hands against corruption.