Cvc and Lokpal

• Corruption is one of the serious problems that affect the Indian polity.
The Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI)
has put India at rank 76 out of 168 countries in its latest Corruption
Perception Index. Considering this stats, it is always necessary for
India to keep an eye on the activities of the officers and their official
transactions. The Indian Government created the Central Vigilance
Commission in 1964 in order to curb the corruptive practices in the
administration. It was done on the recommendations of the
Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by Shri K.
Santhanam Committee, to advise and guide Central Government
agencies in the field of vigilance.
The Commission shall consist of:
•A Central Vigilance Commissioner -
Chairperson;
Not more than two Vigilance Commissioners
- Members;
The commission aimed at preventing the
corrupt practices by the officials by bringing
out reports on the failure of system which
eventually lead to corruption.
Jurisdiction:
• The Vigilance Commission has advisory jurisdiction and powers in respect of
matters to which the executive power of the Centre extends. It can undertake any
inquiry into any transaction in which a public servant is suspected or alleged to
have acted for an improper or corrupt purpose; or cause such an inquiry or
investigation to be made into any complaint of corruption, gross negligence,
misconduct, recklessness, lack of integrity or other kinds of mal-practices or
misdemeanours on the part of a public servant.The following categories of
employees come within the commission’s purview:
(a) Gazetted Central Government officials;
(b) Board level appointees in the public sector undertakings of the Central
Government;
(c) Officers of the rank of Scale-III and above in the public sector banks;
(d) Officers of the rank of Assistant Manager and above in the Insurance Sector
(covered by LIC and GIC); and
(e) Officers in autonomous bodies/local authorities or societies comparable in
status to that of the Gazetted Central Government officials.
It can have its jurisdiction over the employees of public sector undertakings,
statutory corporations, and port trusts etc. But these departments have to pass a
formal resolution accepting the commission’s jurisdiction.
Functions:
• The commission’s main concern is matters
regarding corruption, misconduct, lack of
integrity or other kinds of malpractices or
misdemeanors from the side of the Government
servants. The commission has only advisory
jurisdiction. It cannot perform adjudicatory
functions. The commission cannot investigate or
enquire into complaints of corruption except to a
limited extent.
LOKPAL
• A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or ombudsman who
represents the public interest. The concept of an ombudsman is
borrowed from Sweden. The Lokpal has jurisdiction over all Members
of Parliament and central government employees in cases
of corruption. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013 with
amendments in parliament, following the Jan Lokpal movement led
by Anna Hazare. The Lokpal is responsible for enquiring into
corruption charges at the national level while the Lokayukta performs
the same function at the state level.
• As of February 2018, and ever since the related Act of Parliament was
passed in India, the Indian Government is yet to appoint a Lokpal.