Governance
Lokpal and Lokayukta
- 27 Nov 2019
- 2 min read
Why in News
Recently, a new logo and a new moto were launched for Lokpal, the apex anti-corruption ombudsman.
Key Points
- Logo
- It includes the shapes of the ombudsman (Judges’ Bench), the people (three human figures), vigilance (an Ashoka Chakra forming an eye), the law (a shape of book) and the judicial (two tri-colour hands placed below, forming a unique balance).
- It is designed by Prashant Mishra, a resident of Prayagraj, U.P.
- Motto
- “Ma Gridhah Kasyasvidhanam (Do not be greedy for anyone’s wealth)”.
- Lokpal has decided its motto/slogan based on their own inputs and discussions.
Lokpal and Lokayukta
- The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 provided for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States.
- These institutions are statutory bodies without any constitutional status.
- They perform the function of an "ombudsman” and inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters.
- In India, the concept of constitutional ombudsman was first proposed by the then law minister Ashok Kumar Sen in parliament in the early 1960s.
- The term Lokpal and Lokayukta were coined by Dr L. M. Singhvi.
- The Bill was passed in 2013 in both the Houses of Parliament and came into force on 16 January 2014.
Significance
- To tackle the issues of maladministration and corruption.
- Most of the anti-corruption agencies are advisory in nature, hardly independent and do not have effective powers.
- There is no separate and effective mechanism to check the problems of internal transparency and accountability.
- In this context, the independent institutions of Lokpal and Lokayukta have been a landmark move in the history of Indian polity which offers a solution to the corruption and administrative problems.
