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Belgium has become the first European Union country to recognise ‘ecocide’ as a national as well as an international crime.

Belgium Becomes First European Country to Recognise Ecocide

• The Federal Parliament of Belgium voted in favor of a new penal code that makes ecocide a national and international crime.
• Provision: It will apply to individuals in the highest positions of decision-making power and to corporations. 

About Ecocide

• It, derived from Greek and Latin, translates to ‘killing one’s home’ or ‘environment’. 
• According to the Stop Ecocide Foundation in 2021” Ecocide is any unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment.”
• Existing Countries having an Ecocide law:

Ecuador; Vietnam; Uzbekistan; Russia; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyz Republic; Tajikistan; Georgia; Belarus; Ukraine; Moldova; Armenia.

News Source: DTE

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, is set to inaugurate a new airstrip and jetty, alongside six developmental projects on Mauritius’ Agalega Island. 

About  Mauritius’ Agalega Island

• Agalega Islands are a pair of islands belonging to Mauritius, situated in the western Indian Ocean.
• The islands are composed of two main parts: North Island and South Island.
• The primary settlements are Vingt Cinq on the North Island and Sainte Rita on the South Island.

Significance of New Airstrip and a Jetty and Developmental Projects at the Agalega Island

• Strengthening India’s Influence: This initiative aims to boost India’s presence in the southwestern Indian Ocean and support its strategic ambitions.
• Economic Importance: Mauritius, a central point in the Indian Ocean, plays a crucial role in trade and connectivity.
• Safeguarding Trade: Given that a large portion of India’s trade passes through the Indian Ocean, maintaining a presence will enhance trade security. 
• Countering Chinese Influence: The developmental activities of India at Agalega Island will help to counter China’s expanding ‘String of Pearls’ strategy, which poses a threat to India’s interests. 
• Regional Development and Security: This project aligns with India’s commitment to fostering regional development and security, as part of its SAGAR initiative.
  • It also aims to enhance cooperation between India and its neighbouring countries.
• Strengthening Mauritius’ Security: The project will upgrade Mauritius’ security infrastructure, thereby enhancing the capabilities of its security forces.

News Source: PIB

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Recently, India announced the names of the four astronaut designates for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, planned for launch in 2025.

IAF Pilots Selected for Gaganyaan

• The Prime Minister bestows ‘astronaut wings’ to the astronaut-designates for the mission.
  • They are Shortlisted through a rigorous selection process,
  • They have been undergoing training in various aspects of space flight, initially in Russia, and later at the Astronaut Training Facility established by ISRO in Bengaluru.
• He also inaugurated three important space infrastructure projects worth about 1,800 crore rupees. 
  • Includes the PSLV Integration Facility at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota;
  • The New ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri and
  • ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram.

Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Mission:  

It is a space mission to demonstrate ISRO’s human spaceflight capability by launching a human crew to an orbit of 400 km and bringing them safely back to Earth.

News Source: TH

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The 37th African Union Summit was convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

37th African Union Summit 2024

• Main topics of discussion: It was the need for the  transformation of global financial architecture to address climate & development needs of the African states. 
• The dialogue acknowledged the increase in the active participation of African states in global initiatives, such as Kenya’s co-leading the Taskforce on International Taxation.

Key Highlights Related to Financial System Reforms from the AU Summit

• Launch of Africa Club:

• • It is an alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions that are owned and controlled by African nations solely.

• Establishing Pan  African Monetary Union: A proposal has been put forward to create a central African Monetary Union by establishing three AU financial institutions, i.e., The African Central Bank, the African Monetary Fund the African Investment Bank and a future  Pan-African Stock Exchange.

• Reforms in Global Financial Architecture: 

• • Increasing grant and concessional money to Africa: Concessional grants  from the IMF and World Bank to African development banks need to be tripled  to achieve climate and development goals.
  • Multilateral development banks (MDB) reforms: Introduce climate-vulnerability criteria,   alongside income level for funding eligibility from MDBs increase the capitalisation of MDBs, especially for middle-income countries facing climate-induced shocks. 
  • Rechanneling Special Drawing Rights (SDR) by IMF to African financial institutions: there is a need to rechannel IMF SDRs to MDBs to finance climate action and include middle-income countries in the G20 Common Framework for debt restructuring.
  • Increasing the African voice and power in global decisions and decision-making bodies
  • Committing to an ambitious green growth agenda for Africa 

News Source: DTE

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Recently, India’s first septic tank/manhole cleaning robot- Homosep Atom has been developed which helps to eliminate manual scavenging.

About Homosep Atom: 

• Developed by: Solinas, a startup incubated in the Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of IIT Madras, backed by the Ministry of Science and  Technology.

• Features: 

  • It performs extensive blade cleanings, Solid waste desilting, suction and Storage at one device; thereby reducing the cost of owning multiple assets.

• Significance of Robotic Manhole Cleaning: 

  • Boost to Swachhata Abhiyan: It strengthens the Swachhata Abhiyan in different corners of the country. 
    • End-to-end solution: It offers  an end-to-end solution to eliminate manual scavenging.
    • Provides Easy Operation for Municipalities by Targeting septic tanks associated with large apartments, housing boards, and individual houses. 
    • Empowering  Sanitary workers: It helped them to clean the manholes from outside and avoid going inside the toxic environment.

News Source: AIR

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National Science Day is observed on February 28 to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian Scientist CV Raman.

• This year’s theme of Science Day is Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat. 

Remembering CV Raman 

• He was born on 7 November 1888 in Tamil Nadu. 

Contribution of CV Raman

• Raman Effect: He found this effect through light scattering research in 1928.
• Study on crystal dynamics: In 1948, He investigated spectroscopic behavior of crystals and took a novel approach to this basic issue. 
• Spin of Photons: In 1932,  Sir C.V Raman in collaboration with suri Bhagavantam identified spin of photons. 
  • This discovery enhanced scientific understanding of properties of light and its behaviour. 
• Study on X-rays on infrared vibrations: Raman sir also worked on X-rays impact on the crystals when it is exposed to light. 
• Raman Nath Theory: He gave a theoretical explanation of the diffraction phenomenon. 
  • In this explanation, he used acoustic waves of ultrasonic and hypersonic frequencies. 
  • This theory helped to understand wave interactions and crystal dynamics. 

Awards and Honors

• He received the Nobel Prize in Physics (Raman effect) in 1930.
• Received Bharat Ratna in 1954.
• In 1998, both the American Chemical Society and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science acknowledged Raman’s discovery as a significant International Historic Chemical Landmark.

About Raman’s Effect 

• Raman’s effect was discovered by C.V Raman in 1928
• It is a phenomenon in spectroscopy.
• Raman scattering, or the Raman effect is a state when photons interact with matter.
  • It causes a change of energy and direction of light.

News Source: AIR

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The Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship recently launched the SWAYAM Plus Platform in New Delhi. 

About the SWAYAM Plus Platform:

• It  serves as a platform to offer courses developed collaboratively with the industry to offer employability and professional development‐focused programmes.
  • List of Programmes: Manufacturing, energy, computer science and engineering, IT or ITES, management studies, healthcare, hospitality and tourism besides Indian knowledge systems.
• Operated by: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras).

Target and Focus Areas of SWAYAM Plus Platform

• Building an ecosystem for all professional and career development stakeholders, including learners, course providers, industry, academia, and strategic partners.
  • By bringing features such as access to mentorship, scholarships, and job placements as value-added services in time. 
• Enabling a mechanism that provides credit recognition for high‐quality certifications and courses offered by the best industry and academia partners.
• Reaching a large learner base by catering to learning across the country, focusing on reaching learners from tier 2 and 3 towns and rural areas.
• Offering employment-focused courses, based on learner needs – across chosen disciplines with options to learn through resources in vernacular languages. 

Benefits of SWAYAM Plus Platform

• Widening the Scope: The SWAYAM Plus platform will widen the scope of the classroom, adding 43 million Higher Education students and working professionals.
  • Working professionals participate in the SWAYAM Plus platform using it as a vehicle and take advantage of the multiple-entry-multiple-exit of NEP2020. 
• Skill Enhancement: The courses are needed for the industry, futuristic courses such as semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, etc. for the country’s youth. 
  • Applied education with SWAYAM Plus, employability, entrepreneurship, job-centric and hands-on training is a move towards that direction.
• Push for Vernacular: Courses are to be in local languages to empower every student to realise the dream of Viksit Bharat, as innovation has no language. 
• All-Round Development: Courses also involving music, painting, creative arts, humanities, and liberal arts are to be part of the SWAYAM Plus platform to bring about all-around development in our youth.
• A Multitude of Institutional Mechanisms: It will examine such proposals to ensure need-based and timely responses. 
  • The content will be available in 12 major Indian languages of the country.

News Source: PIB

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Recently, Scientists at Stanford University identified a new form of life ‘obelisks’ lying between viruses and viroids from bacteria present in the human gut.

• The discovery is based on the data obtained from Next-generation sequencing (NGS) (which allows researchers to determine genome sequences parallelly, in bits and pieces from different organisms.)

About Obelisks

• These are Viruses like  biological entities hiding inside the human mouth and gut.
• They represent their class of distinct organisms between Viruses & Viroids.
• Structure: 
  • These entities organise themselves into Rod-like structures by their twisted length of RNA
• Genetic  Makeup: 
  • They have only around 1,000 characters (nucleotides) in size.
  • Like viroids, obelisks have a circular single-stranded RNA genome and no protein coat.
  • But, like viruses, their genomes contain genes predicted to code for proteins. 
  • They encode a single major protein known as ‘obulin’.

Obelisks vs Viruses vs Viroids

• Viruses: 

  • Viruses cannot replicate without a host, they infect a host cell, use the cell’s machinery to make more copies of themselves, and then infect a new cell to repeat the cycle.

• Viroids: 

• • These are tiny scraps of genetic material of RNA that serve no function apart from propagating themselves.
  • RNA of viroids does not code for any protein. 
  • They don’t have a protective shell to encase their genome. 
• Obelisks fall somewhere between viruses and viroids.
  • Obelisk RNA is much longer than viroids and appears to code for two proteins, neither of which bear any similarity to any known protein from any other life form.

Uncertainty About Obelisks

• The evolutionary and ecological roles of parasites or beneficial organisms are yet to be confirmed. 
• Hosts might have developed defence mechanisms against obelisks or could actively engage them for advantages. 
• Any alterations caused by obelisks to the human microbiome could impact human health possibly it can offer therapeutic prospects.

News Source: The Hindu

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This article is based on the news ‘‘10,000 genome’ project completed, says the government” which was published in the Hindu. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) officially announced the completion of the “10000 Genome project”.

10000 Genome Project Completed

• It attempts to create a reference database of whole-genome sequences out of India.
• The samples were taken from 99 ethnic groups spanning 20 centers.
  • The USA, UK, and China are the only countries that have programmes to sequence at least 1,00,000 of their genomes.

Background of Genome India Project

• The initiative is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to sequence at least 10,000 Indian genomes in phase 1.
  • Objective: To develop predictive diagnostic indicators for several high-priority diseases and other uncommon genetic disorders.
• In phase 2, the project would collect genetic samples from patients with three broad categories – Cardiovascular diseases, Mental illness, and Cancer.

About the Genome India Project

• Research Led By: The Genome India Project (GIP) is a research initiative led by the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Brain Research and involves over 20 universities nationwide.
• Objective: To gather samples, compile data, conduct research, and create an “Indian reference genome” grid.
• Applications: Advances agriculture, biotech, and healthcare for diseases like cancer and diabetes.

What Is the 10000 Genome Project?

• Initiative of: Department of Biotechnology
• Aim: To sequence 10,000 Indian genomes.
• Objective: Understanding variations in Indian genes to predict diagnosis.

What Is Genome Sequencing?

• All organisms (bacteria, vegetables, mammals) have a unique genetic code, or genome, composed of nucleotide bases (A, T, C, and G).
• One can identify its unique DNA fingerprint or pattern if one knows the sequence of the bases in an organism.
  • Determining the order of bases is called sequencing.
• Whole genome sequencing is a laboratory procedure that determines the order of bases in the genome of an organism in one process.

How Does Whole Genome Sequencing Work?

• Scientists conduct whole genome sequencing by following these four main steps:
  • DNA Shearing: Scientists begin by using molecular scissors to cut the DNA, which is composed of millions of nucleotide bases (A’s, C’s, T’s, and G’s), into pieces that are small enough for the sequencing machine to read.
    • Adenine (A), Cytosine ©, Guanine (G), and thymine (T) are the nucleotide bases.
  • DNA Barcoding: Scientists add small pieces of DNA tags, or bar codes, to identify which piece of sheared DNA belongs to which bacteria. This is similar to how a bar code identifies a product at the grocery store.
  • DNA Sequencing: The bar-coded DNA from multiple bacteria is combined and put in a DNA sequencer. 
    • The sequencer identifies the A’s, C’s, T’s, and G’s, or bases that comprise each bacterial sequence. The sequencer uses the bar code to keep track of which bases belong to which bacteria.
  • Data Analysis: Scientists use computer analysis tools to compare sequences from multiple bacteria and identify differences. The number of differences can tell the scientists how closely related the bacteria are and how likely they are to be part of the same outbreak.

Significance of the 10000 Genome Project

• Helped Researchers Identify Genetic Variants: An analysis of just 5,750 genomes has helped researchers identify 135 million genetic variants in India.
• Uncovering Disease History: The data repository can help scientists identify diseases indicating variants.
• Identify Resistance-Indicating Variants: It can also help identify resistance-indicating variants, such as genes that might make certain medicines or anesthetics ineffective in certain populations.
  • It can also help identify targets for diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Establishment of IBDC: The entire dataset will be stored at the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) and made available as a digital public good or research.
  • Inaugurated in 2022, the IBDC is the country’s only databank.
  • Before that Indian researchers had to host their biological datasets on American or European servers.

News Source: The Hindu and CDC

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This article is based on the news “Express View on government’s new grain storage plan: More in store” which was published in the Indian Express. Recently, the President of India appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice AM Khanwilkar as the Chairperson of the Lokpal.  

Appointment of Members of Lokpal

• The government has also appointed six members:
  • Three Judicial Members: 
    • Former Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, 
    • Former Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Yadav and 
    • Law Commission Chairperson Ritu Raj Awasthi.
  • Three non-judicial Members: Former Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, former Chief Secretary of Gujarat Pankaj Kumar and former Rural Development Secretary Ajay Tirkey.

Lokpal: Historical Background

• Origin: In 1809, the institution of the ombudsman was inaugurated officially in Sweden.
  • From Sweden, the institution of the Ombudsman spread to other Scandinavian countries– Finland (1919), Denmark (1955) and Norway (1962).
  • New Zealand is the first Commonwealth Country to adopt an Ombudsman and later the UK adopted it.
• Rationale: The institution of the ombudsman is based on the doctrine of administrative accountability to the legislature.
• In India: The terms Lokpal and Lokayukta were coined by Dr. L. M. Singhvi.
  • The concept of a constitutional ombudsman was first proposed by the then law minister Ashok Kumar Sen in Parliament in the early 1960s.
• In 1966: The First Administrative Reforms Commission recommended the setting up of two independent authorities at the central and state level, to look into complaints against public functionaries, including Members of Parliaments.
• In 2002: The Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution headed by M.N. Venkatachaliah recommended the appointment of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas, also recommended that the PM be kept out of the ambit of the authority.
• In 2005: The Second Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by Veerappa Moily recommended that the office of Lokpal should be established without delay.
• In 2013: “India Against Corruption movement” led by Anna Hazare put pressure on the government at the Centre and resulted in the passing of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2013, in both the Houses of Parliament.
  • It received assent from the President on 1 January 2014 and came into force on 16 January 2014.
• In 2017: The Supreme Court gave a significant judgment that the Lokpal appointment process need not be stalled merely due to the absence of the Leader of Opposition (LoP).
  • This judgment dismissed the government’s reasoning that the Lokpal appointment process should wait till the 2013 Act was amended to replace the LoP with the single largest Opposition party leader in the selection committee.
    • The LoP post is given only to a party with at least 10% of the strength of the House. 

Lokpal and Lokayukta

• About: The word “Lokpal” is derived from the Sanskrit word “loka” meaning people and “pala” meaning “protector of people”. 
• Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013. It is a statutory body. 
  • The Lokpal is the first institution of its kind in independent India, established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 to inquire and investigate allegations of corruption against public functionaries who fall within the scope and ambit of the above Act.
• The Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Amendment) Act, 2016: It amended the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.

• • Amended section 44 of the 2013 Act: It replaced the time limit of 30 days. It means the public servants will declare their assets and liabilities in the form and manner prescribed by the government.
    • Section 44 of the 2013 Act deals with the provision of furnishing of details of assets and liabilities of public servants within 30 days of joining the government service.

• Mandate: 

  • To address concerns and aspirations of the citizens of India for clean governance. 
  • To serve the public interest and shall endeavour to use the powers vested in it to eradicate corruption in public life.
  • To present annually to the President a report to be laid before each House of Parliament.

• Appointment:

  • As per Section 4 of the Act, the Chairperson and Members shall be appointed by the President after obtaining the recommendations of a Selection Committee consisting of:
  • The Prime Minister—Chairperson
  • The Speaker of the House of the People
  • The Leader of Opposition in the House of the People
  • The Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him
  • One eminent jurist, as recommended by the Chairperson and Members (referred above), to be nominated by the President. 

• Composition: 

• • Lokpal is a multi-member body that consists of one chairperson and a maximum of 8 members.

• • The Chairperson should be either the former Chief Justice of India or the former Judge of the SC or an eminent person with impeccable integrity and outstanding ability.
    • He/she should have special knowledge and expertise of a minimum of 25 years in matters relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, and finance including insurance and banking, law and management.
  • Members: Out of the maximum eight members, half will be judicial members, and a minimum of 50% of the Members will be from SC/ ST/ OBC/ Minorities and women.
    • Judicial members are either former judges of the Supreme Court or former Chief Justice of a High Court.
    • Non-judicial Members: They should be eminent persons with impeccable integrity and outstanding abilities.
      • They should have special knowledge and expertise of a minimum of 25 years in matters relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance, law and management.

• Lokpal Tenure: 

  • The Lokpal chairperson and the members are appointed for five years or serve until they are 70 years old, whichever is earlier. 
  • They are not eligible for reappointment and cannot hold any constitutional or governmental office.
  • They cannot contest any elections for 5 years.

• Condition of Services: 

  • The Salary allowances and other conditions of service of the chairperson and members are equivalent to that of Chief Justice of India and Judge of the SC respectively.

• Jurisdiction: 

  • The Lokpal has jurisdiction over the central government to inquire into allegations of corruption against its public functionaries.
    • It includes the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, and Group A officers of the Central Government and for matters connecting them. 
  • The jurisdiction also covers chairpersons, members, officers and directors of any board, corporation, society, trust or autonomous body established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly funded by the Centre or state government.

• Lokpal Powers

• • Power to Inquire: When a complaint is received, the Lokpal may order a preliminary inquiry by its Inquiry Wing or any other agency, or refer it for investigation by any agency if there is a prima facie case. 
  • Power over CVC: Lokpal, with respect to Central government servants, shall refer the complaints to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), who will send a report regarding officials falling under Groups A and B and proceed as per the CVC Act against those in Groups C and D.
  • Power over CBI: Lokpal will have power of superintendence and direction over any central investigation agency including Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for cases referred to them by the Lokpal. 
  • Power of a Civil Court: The Inquiry Wing of the Lokpal has been vested with the powers of a civil court.
    • Lokpal can give directions to prevent the destruction of records during the preliminary inquiry.
  • Power to Search & Seizure: The Lokpal is vested with the power of search and seizure and also powers under the Civil Procedure Code for the purpose of conducting preliminary inquiry & investigation and power of attachment of assets and taking other steps for eradication of corruption.
  • Power in Special Circumstances: Lokpal has powers of confiscation of assets, proceeds, receipts and benefits arising due to corruption in special circumstances.
  • Power on Transfer & Suspension: Lokpal has the power to recommend the transfer or suspension of public servants facing allegations of corruption.

Limitations and Challenges Faced by the Lokpal

• No Inquiry in Exceptional Cases: 

  • The Lokpal cannot inquire into allegations against the PM in matters related to international relations, external and internal security, public order, atomic energy and space. 

• Lack of Constitutional Status: 

  • It does not have any constitutional backing. 
  • Somehow lack of constitutional status is one of the reasons for delay of appointment of Chairperson.

• No Criteria for Eminent Jurist: 

  • There is no criteria to decide who is an ‘eminent jurist’, it can manipulate the appointment method of Lokpal. 

• Anonymous Complaints Not Allowed: 

  • It does not permit anonymous complaints, which may deter potential whistleblowers to come forward.

• Exclusion of Judiciary: 

• • The judiciary is excluded from its ambit.It means Lokpal cannot conduct enquiry on Judicial members.

• No provisions of Appeal: 

  • There are no adequate provisions for appeal against the actions of Lokpal. 

• Approval by Majority: 

  • It also cannot launch such an inquiry, unless a full bench of the Lokpal consisting of its chairperson and all members considers the initiation of an inquiry and at least two-thirds of its members approve it.

• Political Influence: 

  • The Lokpal appointing committee consists of members from political parties and hence a probability to put Lokpal under political influence.

• No Immunity to Whistle Blowers: 

• • The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 failed to provide any kind of concrete immunity to the whistleblowers. 

• Specific Time Limit for Complaint: 

  • The complaint against corruption cannot be registered after a period of seven years from the date on which the offence is alleged to have been committed.
    • The Lokpal act also called upon states to appoint a Lokayukta within a year of its coming into force. However, only a few states have established the Lokayukta.

• Prosecution Record: 

  • According to a parliamentary committee report tabled in Parliament, the Lokpal “has not prosecuted even a single person accused of graft till date.
    • The data provided by the Lokpal office indicated that , since 2019-20, the anti-corruption body received 8,703 complaints out of which 5,981 complaints were disposed of.

• Delay in Appointment: 

  • After two years of the retirement of the 1st Chairperson, the current chairperson has been appointed.
    • Further, the lack of resources and manpower add on to the ripple effect on Lokpal.

Way Forward

• More Autonomy: To tackle the problem of corruption, Lokpal needs to be strengthened more both in terms of functional autonomy and availability of human power.
  • Example: In case of important judgments the provision of majority of two-third needs to be diluted and exceptional cases of PM that impact the nation should be considered.
• Greater Transparency: Enhancement of transparency and accountability is required to win the public trust and work in an excellent manner.
  • The slogan adopted by the government of “less government and more governance”, should be followed in spirit.
• Decentralization of Power: There is a need for a multiplicity of decentralized institutions to avoid the concentration of too much power, in any one institution or authority.
• More Independence: Such institutions must be financially, administratively and legally independent of those whom they are called upon to investigate and prosecute.
  • The independence of Lokpal can help to put Lokpal away from political influence.

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