-Express News Service   Virtually forced into drafting it, the government today introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha that aims to fight corruption via the lokpal at the centre and Lokayuktas in the states, an unprecedented oversight body whose members are selected, and which is set to be dominated by members of the higher judiciary. The singular theme emerging from the proceedings of the house today was the unease across the political...

The setting aside of 50% of seats in the proposed lokpal for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women and minorities, triggered a sharp debate within parties today around a central, normative question: should social diversity, especially inclusion of minorities, weigh in an empowered body to “fight corruption?”   While the BJP has opposed it and Team Anna, caught off-guard on a sensitive political issue, has declined to comment, legal experts...

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...

-The Economic Times   The government's version of the lokpal Bill gets most things right. The entire executive, represented by its senior layers, including the Prime Minister, comes under its purview. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which deals with all kinds of crime and not just corruption, is rightly kept outside the proposed lokpal's administrative control but will investigate cases referred to it by the lokpal. Nor is there any attempt to...

-The Times of India   A couple of days back, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh was promised a rose by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare in the event of a strong lokpal Bill. At this moment, however, its the thorns in that rose which stand out. Confrontation is looming over the current shape of the Bill, which is likely to retain administrative government control over the CBI. Anna has reverted swiftly to agitation mode, declaring...