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Features of the Jan Lokpal Bill: 1. An institution called Lokpal at the centre and Lokayukta in each state will be set up. 2. Like the Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations. 3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in the next one year, so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years. 4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction. 5. How will it help a common citizen? If the work of any citizen is not done in a prescribed time, in any government office, Lokpal will impose a financial penalty on the guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant. 6. One can approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card had not been made, or if the police are not registering your case, or if any other work is not being done within the prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. One can also report any case of corruption to Lokpal, like rations being siphoned off, poor quality roads being constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. 7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities, not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process. 8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal will be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months. 9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? The departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of the CBI, will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician. 10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.
Fundamental duties 1. To judge the cases and make jurisdictions against corruption cases with the Lokpal. 2. To judge whether a case is genuine or whether a fake complaint has been made. 3. To potentially impose fines on a fake complaint, or even a short span of jail time, if the case is not proved to be legally true. Anna Hazare, a Gandhian rights activist, had started a fast unto death at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding the passing of the bill. Hazare called off his hunger strike on the 9 April 2011, bringing to an end his 98-hour protest after the government issued a gazette notification constituting a 10-member Joint Committee of government ministers and civil society activists, including him, to draft a bill for the creation of an effective Lokpal. Thousands of people from all over India, especially youth, supported Anna Hazare's cause by attending candle lit marches and conducting online campaigns through social media. Recently a yoga guru, Swami Ramdev, fasted for this cause for 9 days from 4 to 12 June 2011. He wanted the Government of India to accept various demands, which mainly included those related to the Lokpall Bill. Many claimed he had a personal interest in it. Anna Hazare on the 8 June, 2011, declared that he would again fast unto death on 16 August, if the Lokpal bill were not passed by the Parliament of India by 15 August, which is the Independence Day of India. On the 16th of June, Civil Society reported that only 15 points, of 71, that they recommended have been agreed to by the Joint Committee consisting of five central ministers. Following differences with the Civil Society, the team of five central ministers decided to forward two drafts of the Lokpal Bill to the Cabinet, one from each side. Anticipating some sort of police action against his fast, intended for 16 August, social activist Anna Hazare said he would ask the Supreme Court to prevent any situation similar to the police crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan. The government said, we will suppress the agitation of Anna Hazare as had been done in the case of Ramdev. Is this democracy or autocracy? You cannot suppress.... That is why we will go to the Supreme Court tomorrow, Hazare told reporters, adding the Constitution has given right to every citizen to lodge a protest. We will launch the agitation from August 16
On 27 December 2011, the Lokpal bill was passed by the Lok Sabha after a day long debate and amendments. The Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have been kept out of the jurisdiction of the Lokpal. The bill also keeps the CBI independent. Conclusion The massive participation of youngsters in anti-corruption movement led by Team Anna who represents the upper caste, middle class and educated masses, is seen to achieve hidden interests of invisible forces. Allegations have been made that there are invisible forces behind the Team Anna movement against corruption. In several districts of Karnataka and places in India, the movement has been backed by Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP), the student-wing of the BJP. The RSS and the BJP have fully supported Hazare. There are other rightist forces with the Team Anna movement. Hate campaign literature, slogans and the way protests are organised in some of the BJP- ruled states prove it. One is not sure whether Team Anna is aware of these developments. These forces are hijacking Team Anna for their hidden agenda. Information Technology (IT) professionals are behind the movement in monitoring, mobilising and manipulating all available IT platforms facebook, Twitter, e-groups, blogs and websites. Opinions or criticisms against Team Anna movement are manipulated by deleting them from these platforms. A similar uprising of upper caste and middle class educated youth was seen when the Mandal Commission Report was implemented by the V. P. Singh Government in 1990 and also when 27% OBC reservation in educational institutions was introduced in 2006. The nature of the campaign is very scary for secularism and democracy of the country. On the other hand, the movement has brought a class of people to the streets that are normally apolitical. Involvement of this class in politics, one hopes, would educate them on issues for them to become more active in the politics of the land. The class is yet to realise that the processes in politics are hard and sustained. But if they have a desire to make a difference and serve the nation, they need to articulate and bring pressure on the government in power. Public opinion has a place in governance. But that public opinion cannot be based on class interests but mass concerns. The middle class no doubt is affected by state and government corruption. They have also contributed to it. They can decide to put an end to it through different ways and means. But no class of people, while addressing an evil, move away from constitutional means. Making an individual as a saviour and following that leader against the norms of the rule of law will destroy democracy. It is equally important to realise that the root cause of corruption is in our social
system of hierarchy, caste, discrimination and hate. If we are able to transform that system of caste into an egalitarian system of equality, community and justice, we will be able to get rid of other kinds of corruption. Only a corruption free society will be able to create a corruption-free state.
5) http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-06/india/32078221_1_team-annaanna-hazare-led-anti-corruption-movement-union-minister-ashwani-kumar