Even when politics and administrative mechanism have been into neck-deep corruption, it took about half a century for the country to witness its much-awaited Lokpal bill.
Retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose is to be the country's first Lokpal, or the anti-corruption ombudsman. The other members of the nine-member Lokpal would include four former High Court judges, including a woman judge, and four former civil servants. The selection was made weeks after the February-end deadline set by the Supreme Court.
Justice Ghose’s name was finalised and recommended by the Selection Committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a couple of days ago.
Passed in 2013, the Lokpal Act involves the setting up of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants.
The panel to choose the candidates -- headed by the prime minister -- included the Lok Sabha speaker, leader of the opposition in the lower house, the Chief Justice of India or any judge of the Supreme court he nominates, and an eminent jurist who could be nominated by the President or any other member. President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Mukul Rohatgi, a former Attorney General, as the ''eminent jurist''.
The decision on selection of nine-member Lokpal bill is final. The president will announce it officially after getting the permission from the Election Commission though.
Lokpal is an arrangement which allows probe into corruption charges against politicians and top officers including the prime minister, if there are allegations against them. Not only that, if the allegations are proved, Lokpal can even take penal action against them.
The efforts to bring in the Lokpal had started in 1969. Neither the Congress nor their Opposition parties were able to implement the bill.
Though bill regarding Lokpal was passed in 2013, it took about five years to implement the law regarding the bill.
It is also notable that the Centre took some forward steps, heeding to the direction of the Supreme Court order that a final decision on Lokpal bill should be taken within February 28.

The bill was passed in Parliament in 2013 with the condition that the prime minister should also be brought under the purview of the law; Inclusion of the prime minister had been a topic of hot discussion for some time. There was arguments for exclusion of the prime minister.
Besides the prime minister, MPs, top officers and judges will come under the purview of the law. Since, neither enquiry commissions nor Vigilance commission have any right to prosecute, there lot of formalities to ensure that the corrupt get punished.
Sometimes it takes years.
A per Lokpal law, just a year is given to complete the investigation. Once it is complete, the trial and prosecution procedures should be completed within one week.
The loss incurred by the government owing to a corruption committed by an officer should be extracted from the convict. Not only corruption, officers who delay rendering government services to the common people can also get punished through Lokpal law, if a complaint is made against them.
A person can approach Lokpal in Centre and Lokayukta in states with any just complaint. Once Lokpal comes into existence, Central Vigilance Commission will become its part.
In this context, Gandhian Anna Hazare’s long fight for Lokpal should remembered with all due respect. The main reason for passing the bill in 2013 is the historic fast observed by Anna in Delhi Ramleela maidan in 2011.
It also paved the way for the birth of Aam Admi party and change of incumbent government in Delhi.
Also, recently Anna had reminded the current Central government about the issue through fasting.
It is natural that politicians and top officers have a proclivity for corruption and have no interest in laws to curb corruption.
Corruption has been spreading like cancer in the country. Though administrators are feeling suffocated with corruption charges, those facing allegation are moving around care-free with impunity in the absence of more teeth for laws that can trap them.
There are also option for the tainted politicians and leaders to take out a legal fight with the money they have received as bribes.
However, don’t think that corruption will disappear just because the Lokpal come into existence.
But the presence of a credible arrangement where commoners can access easily to complain, is a big relief.
The structure of the nine-member Lokpal suits the current circumstances. Pinaki Chandra Ghose , the first Lokpal, is an apt choice for that place.
As Lokpal starts functioning in the Centre, it is necessary to strengthen the State Lokayuktas simultaneously. At present, functioning of many Lokayuktas across the country including Kerala Lokayukta, doesn’t seem to be remarkable.