Political Career for Indian Youth- Jan Lpkpal-issues for Cosideration

The Jan Lokpal- Issues for Consideration an Introduction

It is heartening to note that public pressure has influenced the Government of India to constitute a committee comprising of senior Cabinet Ministers and prominent civil society actors to draft a law for creating an anti-corruption agency for India. The Government is also reported to have accepted the Jan Lokpal Bill (the Draft Bill) drafted by civil society actors as the basis for discussions. The Draft Bill has been widely talked about and debated through the media and in public consultations held across the country with varying degrees of understanding about its complexity. The willingness of the civil society members of the drafting committee to pay heed to diverse opinion and voices expressed about the contents of the Draft Bill is welcome and augurs well for the consultation process. This note identifies major and minor issues of concern that need to be addressed in the Draft Bill if it is to live up to its intended purpose- namely the creation of strong mechanisms to combat corruption in the country. This note also takes into account current legislative proposals dealing with some of the themes covered by the Draft Bill which are pending in Parliament. This analysis of key themes and underlying issues is supported by recommendations for improvement in the contents of the Draft Bill.