As a first step towards the setting up lokpal, the Government has invited applications for filling up one post of chairperson and eight posts of Members in the lokpal. Out of eight Members in the lokpal, four posts are of Judicial Members and other four posts are for other than Judicial Members. Fifty per cent members of lokpal shall be from amongst SC, ST, OBC, Minorities and women.
The Government has circulated these vacancies to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the Registrars of High Courts, Chief Secretaries of State Governments and Secretaries in the Central Government Departments and Ministries, calling for nomination of eligible candidates by February 7, 2014. The new enactment is indicative of the resolve of the Parliament and the Government to give to the nation an effective anti-corruption framework.
The lokpal and lokayuktas Act, 2013 passed by Parliament paves the way for setting up of the institution of lokpal at the Centre and lokayuktas in States by law enacted by respective State legislatures within one year of coming into force.
The new law provides for a mechanism for dealing with complaints of corruption against public functionaries, including those in high places.
Another significant feature of the Act is that it has taken its present shape after repeated consultations with all stake holders including civil society. The lokpal and lokayuktas Act is perhaps the only legislation in the history of independent India, which has been so widely discussed, both inside and outside Parliament and has, thus generated so much awareness in the public mind about the need to have an effective institution of lokpal to tackle corruption.
The Government has decided to expedite some of the pending important anti-corruption legislations such as Whistle-blowers Protection Bill, 2011, Foreign Bribery Bill and Private Sector Corruption, Amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act and Right to Time-bound Delivery of Goods and Services Bill in the Parliament.