Corruption is a common word which has become a topic of discussion in all areas of life, corner of the world and by all people of the globe. Greed for money and position and the corrupt nature and mentality acquired by birth are the factors operate and inspire to promote and live in corruption. The corruption is the result of a corrupted mind. Things around are so corrupted and it so easy to get away things which are next impossible to acquire and accomplish. These generally promotes corruption. Corruption comes under many different guises: bribery, misappropriations of public goods, nepotism (favoring family members for jobs and contracts), and influencing the formulation of laws or regulations for private gain are common examples of wrongdoing or misconduct.
Corruption decreases the amount of wealth in a country and lowers the standard of living. Corruption affects you even if you don't come into direct contact with it. For example, corruption discourages businesses from operating in a corrupt setting, reducing the overall wealth in a country. It reduces the amount of money the government has available to pay workers and buy supplies, such as books, medicine and computers. It distorts the way the government uses its money, lowering the quality of the services it provides: schools, health clinics, roads, sewer systems, police. It allows those with money or connections to bend the law or government rules in their favor. It undermines everyone's trust in government. In order to combat this disease called corruption in a country like India something concrete is wanted and Jan Lokpal bill is the best thing which is available to help us, if not remove corruption at least to limit it.
The Jan Lokpal Bill (also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill) is a proposed anti-corruption law designed to effectively deter corruption, redress grievances and protect the victims. It is drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year. Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), the draft Bill envisages a system where a corrupt person found guilty would go to jail within two years of the complaint being made and his ill-gotten wealth being confiscated. It also seeks power to the Jan Lokpal to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission.
The Lokpal Bill has been earlier drafted but never got passed. The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, in 1969 but stalled in the Rajya Sabha. Subsequent Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008 but all failed to pass. Following the four day Anna Hazare fasting struggle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the Lokpal Bill would be introduced in the 2011 monsoon session of parliament.
The Jan Lokpal Bill provides for an institution called Lokpal at the centre and Lokayukta in each state will be set up. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.
The Government of India has also come up with their own version of the bill. But their version is being criticized a lot. Government's Lokpal will not have any power to either initiate action suo motu in any case or even receive complaints of corruption from public. Whereas the Jan Lokpal proposes full powers to initiate investigations suo motu in any case and also to directly entertain complaints from the public. The government's Lokpal will not have any police powers and it will not be able to register an FIR. Whereas the Jan Lokpal proposes police powers and would be able to register FIR, proceed with criminal investigations and launch prosecution. The government's Lokpal won't have powers to investigate any case against Prime Minister, which deals with foreign affairs, security and defense. But the Jan Lokpal Bill proposes no such bar on Lokpal's powers. The Government's Lokpal will not have jurisdiction over bureaucrats and government officers. But Jan Lokpal will have jurisdiction over politicians, officials and even judges. It also proposes merging the entire vigilance machinery into Lokpal.
With Jan Lokpal Bill, further scams or leaks will be stopped. In case the JanLokpal Bill is allowed to come and stay then definitely in a short time many scams will be ripped open and money robbed will be recovered, that itself is big revenue. The present Jan Lokpal Bill may sound a bit utopian, but we must remember one thing that we, the people of India are the Jan of this Lokpal Bill and it is in our hands to make it realistic. All that laziness and all that fear which stops many of us from complaining against the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats has to be done away with.
Corruption is continuously increasing in India and due to this increased corruption talented people are not getting good jobs in government sectors because in every field of institution there is a bacteria called Ghoos means official people will only work when you will offer them some good money then only they will work. From top to bottom almost everybody is corrupt, some people are honest but corrupt people cover them in every section. This is one of the reasons why brain drain is increasing in India. Jan Lokpal bill is very much necessary to remove corruption from India. If Jan Lokpal bill will pass in the Lok Sabha then this institution will be have power to give punishment to all the guilty people, which is the only way to remove corruption from India.
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