The National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) on Tuesday questioned the “appropriateness” of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, in respect of the proposed watchdog's independence, empowerment, jurisdiction and accountability. “The appropriateness of the Bill could well be determined by asking questions such as whether … [the proposed Lokpal] is adequately independent of the government, whether it is adequately empowered to detect, investigate and prosecute cases of corruption, had...

Supporters who hit the streets are from all walks of life The response to Team Anna's protest in Mumbai was lukewarm on Tuesday, compared to the popular support it received in New Delhi earlier. Though members of India Against Corruption claimed that 30,000 people visited the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Authority) ground in the Bandra-Kurla Complex here, it did not look more than 3,000. There was a spurt in the number of...

Women's groups may need to take lessons from Team Anna in campaigning for their quota bill Most MPs are opposed to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, just as they were opposed to the Women's Reservation Bill. But the Lokpal Bill stands a better chance of being enacted. Unlike the Women's Reservation Bill, which had no support on the streets, the anti-corruption law...

There was wide criticism of the perceived attack on federalism Members of Parliament across the political spectrum are apprehensive of what the establishment of a supreme Lokpal — answerable to none — may hold for the future of the parliamentary system of governance as India has known and for the entire political establishment. Even as the process for the historic legislation for establishing a Lokpal began on Thursday with the introduction of...

Team Anna complains that the Lokpal has no administrative control over the CBI and its investigation wing but CBI officials feel that the agency now could be subject to the whims of new master — the three-member Lokpal panel. Besides the elevation of the status of its Director — the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice or a Judge appointed by him are now on the selection...