Friday, April 8, 2011

Jan Lokpal Bill: Quick Analysis

JAN LOKPAL BILL:

Though I have been really busy in the past few days, but owing to the furore surrounding the movement by IAC, I read through all the 28 pages of this proposed Bill. And in a few quick words, I can give my analysis here:
1. Compare the Bill with this BILL for Prevention of Corruption, which is already in place since 1988. If this bill were implemented perfectly, an ideal situation would have arisen and there would have been no need of the Jan Lokpal. So the question is, do we need to create a new bill or amend existing bills to create a better corruption-free environment.
2. The answer is simple: We need the government to take steps and give more power to bodies which work independent of political parties (for example, separation of CBI Anti-Corruption Section and making it independent of political clutches).
The Jan Lokpal Bill at least addresses these needs, and that's what makes it indispensable for India's growth. But it is too ideal and Definitions given in Points 1 and 9 prove this point.

Bills tend to get entangled in the clutches of failed idealism, and hence even the most well intended acts sometimes give ironical growth to new dimensions of corruption. But this does not mean that we do not take any steps, due to the anticipated fear of failure of those steps.

Steps are needed; may be the Jan Lokpal Bill is not the perfect answer, but it is the best possible answer out of the available options (this reminds of my JEE paper in 2006 which asked us to select the best possible answer and not the correct answer, or was it the Fiitjee paper :P).

A Bill is needed which empowers a body which is independent of politics. But what is needed more than anything else, is, (quoting Gandhi) 'Be the Change you want to see in the world'.
My company Incept is taking steps towards being that change (special offer to NGOs, ISO Certification, automated systems to ensure timely payment of all taxes).. its time for me and my friends now to take some steps.