For all his damage-control efforts, Anna Hazare's praise for Narendra Modi has emerged as a touchstone, however unwittingly, for determining the political character of the Jan Lokpal movement. Adverse reactions from his own supporters indicate that civil society is not satisfied with Hazare's clarification that he had patted Modi only in the context of rural development and that, as a Gandhian, he was opposed to communal disharmony. Hazare is under pressure to...

Framed with a purpose of rooting away corruption, the Rajasthan Lokayukta and Up-Lokayuktas Act, 1973 seems to be only a paper tiger. Cited as one of the weakest Act in its kind in the country, it makes the Lokayukta's office a mere investigative body that gives recommendations. "We are just an investigative body that gives recommendations. We cannot take any punitive action. "Even for our investigation, we donot have agency assigned...

It's Sharad Pawar's old habit of indulging in corruption. Yes, I am levelling charges. Take me to court, I will prove the allegations," said activist Anna Hazare in New Delhi, as he began his fast unto death strike against corruption on Monday. Hazare's is campaigning for a compressive Lok Pal Bill to give wider powers to the ombudsman to check corruption attracted a huge crowd of over 3,000 people at Jantar...

The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill 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...

As noted social activist Anna Hazare started his fast-unto-death in the national capital, there is a need to take a look at his draft Jan Lokpal bill and the government's Lokpal Bill. The government proposes to set up Lokpal to check corruption at high places and salvage its image. But there are stark differences between the government's version of the Lokpal Bill and the civil society's. The government Bill, actually, seems to...