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Appointment of Lokpal: Govt searching for a jurist for selection panel, SC told

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8 years ago

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Section 377 hearings Day 4: Supreme court reserves judgment

Supreme Court had pulled up the Centre for delay in appointing Lokpal, asked DoPT to file an affidavit detailing steps taken to appoint the ombudsman

The Supreme Court was, on Tuesday (March 6), informed by the Centre that it was still searching for an eminent jurist who could be named as a member of the selection committee tasked with short-listing a Lokpal.

The submission by Attorney General KK Venugopal before a Supreme Court bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumati comes at a time when the Congress party has already declared its decision to boycott any meeting of the selection panel till such a time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government gets an amendment to the Lokpal Act of 2013 passed. The said amendment, pending for nearly four years now, would replace the term Leader of Opposition with leader of the single largest Opposition party as one of the members of the Lokpal selection panel, the other three being the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist.

On February 23, the apex court had pulled up the Centre for the delay in appointing a Lokpal. The bench of Justices Gogoi and Banumati had asked the secretary of the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to file an affidavit about the “steps taken and proposed” for appointing the ombudsman after Venugopal informed the court that ta meeting of the selection panel was due on March 1.

However, on March 1, Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha declined an invitation by the Centre to attend the selection panel’s meeting as a “special invitee”. Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating the “special invitee” status would not allow him to contribute to the discussion over the appointment of the anti-corruption watchdog.

With Kharge boycotting the meet and the Centre still struggling to find an eminent jurist who can be on the panel, the selection committee currently comprises of just two members – the Prime Minister and Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

The Modi government had earlier appointed legal luminary PP Rao as a member of the selection panel. However, following Rao’s demise in September last year, the slot of an eminent jurist on the panel has been lying vacant.

With the government showing no interest in getting the Lokpal Act 2013 amended to relax norms for the selection panel’s constitution, the law as it stands today, requires that the panel have the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and an eminent jurist as its members. Since the Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha had been restricted to just 44 in the May 2014 general elections, it failed to get the office of the Leader of Opposition as this would have required the party to have a numerical strength of at least 10 per cent of the composition of the Lok Sabha. In the absence of a Leader of Opposition, the government had argued that the Lokpal selection committee cannot be constituted. It was later suggested that the Act be amended so that the selection committee could have as its members the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, leader of the single largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha and an eminent jurist. This amendment has, however, not been passed as yet by Parliament.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Venugopal told the Supreme Court that the vacancy of an eminent jurist in the Lokpal selection committee will be filled at the earliest but did not give an exact time frame for this. While the DoPT affidavit, filed with the apex court before the proceedings, mentioned that the meeting of the selection committee took place on March 1 and was not attended by “special invitee” Kharge, the Centre has not been able to answer the other critical question – what would it do if the Congress continues to boycott the selection panel meeting.

Assuming that the Centre does find an eminent jurist who it feels is worthy enough of being nominated to the selection panel – it hasn’t found anyone suitable in the six months since Rao’s demise – the question of the Opposition’s representation on the committee will still require resolution.

It may be recalled that the SC had, last year, ruled that there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments, including on the issue of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, were cleared by the Parliament. The court had said that the Lokpal Act of 2013 was an eminently workable piece of legislation and “does not create any bar to the enforcement of the provisions.” It had added: amendments proposed to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, and the views of the Parliamentary Standing Committee are attempts to streamline the working of the Act and does not constitute legal hindrances or bar its enforcement.

The SC’s ruling had come on a plea by NGO Common Cause and others seeking immediate appointment of Lokpal in the country.

The UPA-II government had been forced to enact the Lokpal Act in 2013 after massive countrywide agitations broke out over the need for setting up a new institutional mechanism to check corruption in the government. The agitations had been triggered by the hunger strikes and protests by activist Anna Hazare, his then protégé Arvind Kejriwal and a motley group of other “civil society” members who came together under the banner of India Against Corruption. While Kejriwal leveraged the publicity he received from the protests to launch his political career and the Aam Aadmi Party, Hazare was relegated to the shadows.

Ironically, after coming to power in Delhi with a historic mandate, Kejriwal has himself done little to appoint a Lokayukt – the provincial equivalent of the central Lokpal.

Now, even as the Supreme Court nudges the Centre to expedite the proves of appointing a Lokpal, Hazare is trying to get back into the limelight, threatening another stir fromMarch 23 at New Delhi’s Ramlila Grounds demanding that the ombudsman be appointed soon and that the institution of Lokpal be made operational.

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12 Maoists killed, 3 security personnel lose lives in major anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh

A major anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh’s West Bastar region resulted in the killing of 12 Maoists, while three DRG personnel lost their lives amid intense gunfire.

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7 hours ago

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December 3, 2025

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Security forces have intensified their combing operations in the dense West Bastar forests after a fierce encounter left 12 Maoists dead and claimed the lives of three DRG personnel.

A coordinated offensive involving teams of DRG Bijapur-Dantewada, STF, CRPF and CoBRA unfolded deep inside Maoist-dominated terrain early Wednesday. According to Bijapur SP Dr Jitendra Yadav, the forces came under sustained Naxal gunfire around 9 am, triggering a prolonged encounter.

By afternoon, the bodies of 12 Maoist cadres had been recovered, while weapons seized from the area included SLR rifles, INSAS rifles, .303 rifles and other ammunition. Bastar Range IG Sundarraj P confirmed that identification of the deceased Maoists is still underway.

Three DRG personnel killed, two injured

The operation came at a grave cost, with three DRG personnel — Head Constable Monu Waddi, Constable Dukaru Gonde and Jawan Ramesh Sodi — losing their lives. Two others sustained injuries but are reported to be out of danger after receiving medical care.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai paid tribute to the fallen personnel and lauded the forces, stating that the action reflects a clear weakening of Maoist networks in the region. He said arrangements for treatment of the injured have been ensured and reiterated the government’s commitment to ending Maoist violence.

Forces strengthen search and area sealed

SP Yadav said additional reinforcements have arrived and the encounter zone has been fully cordoned off for intensified operations. Continuous combing is underway to locate remaining Maoist cadres.

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma noted that forces have been consistently making gains in anti-Naxal missions, calling the latest action a significant strike against Maoist groups.

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IndiGo flight cancellations cross 200 as crew shortage and new duty norms hit operations

IndiGo’s operations witnessed major disruption for the second day, with over 200 cancellations and severe delays triggered by crew shortage under new duty norms.

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7 hours ago

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December 3, 2025

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India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is grappling with widespread disruption across major airports as flight delays and cancellations continue for the second consecutive day. With operations strained and punctuality plunging sharply, thousands of passengers have been left inconvenienced across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

IndiGo’s on-time performance dips sharply

Government data showed the airline’s on-time performance had dropped to 35%, a rare slump for the carrier known for punctuality. IndiGo, which operates more than 2,200 flights daily, saw over 1,400 flights delayed on Tuesday, followed by around 200 cancellations by Wednesday afternoon.

Mumbai Airport issued an advisory alerting passengers to check their flight status, citing airline-related operational issues impacting departures and arrivals.

New duty norms trigger severe crew shortage

A major factor behind the disruptions is the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules last month. The updated norms mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters for pilots and cabin crew. Sources indicated many flights were grounded over the past 48 hours as crew availability dipped sharply.

IndiGo acknowledged a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges” including technology glitches, winter schedule adjustments, weather-related issues and the new rostering norms. The airline said it has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours to restore normalcy.

FDTL rules cap crew flying to eight hours a day and mandate a minimum rest period of 10 hours within a 24-hour window, with rest time amounting to twice the flight duration.

Airports across India see cancellations

The ripple effect of IndiGo’s disruptions has been felt nationwide:

  • Hyderabad’s RGIA reported 33 cancellations, leading to long queues and disrupted travel plans.
  • Bengaluru Airport saw 42 cancellations, including 22 arrivals and 20 departures, impacting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Kolkata.
  • Delhi Airport also saw congestion as a slowdown in the Amadeus system, used for check-ins and reservations, added to delays.

Passengers vent frustration

Several passengers took to social media to share their ordeal.
One traveller stranded in Hyderabad since early morning said they missed an important meeting due to continuous delays. Another flyer complained their Udaipur-bound flight was repeatedly delayed, calling the experience “a joke”.

IndiGo issues apology, offers rebooking

IndiGo said it is offering alternate travel options or refunds to affected travellers and urged passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. The airline reiterated its commitment to stabilising operations “as quickly as possible”.

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Centre withdraws order on mandatory Sanchar Saathi pre-installation after protests

The government has withdrawn its order making the Sanchar Saathi app mandatory on smartphones, following two days of intense criticism from opposition leaders and civil rights groups over privacy concerns.

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12 hours ago

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December 3, 2025

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sanchar sathi app logo

The Centre has reversed its directive that required all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app, following backlash from opposition leaders, civil rights groups and users who raised concerns over privacy and potential misuse.

Government cites rising downloads, public feedback

According to the government, the order was rolled back as user downloads had surged — with over six lakh installations within 24 hours and 1.4 crore total users. Officials said the mandate was originally intended to push wider adoption, but public feedback prompted a re-evaluation.

The official statement reiterated Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s earlier assurance in Parliament that the app is deletable and does not enable snooping. The minister emphasised that in a democracy, every user has the right to remove applications they do not wish to use.

Opposition slams move, flags privacy concerns

Several opposition leaders criticised the initial directive, claiming it risked turning the app into a surveillance tool, echoing earlier privacy controversies. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the decision “ridiculous”, while Karti Chidambaram compared the mandate to practices in authoritarian countries. Leaders from other parties also raised objections, describing it as a move that could compromise personal data.

What the Sanchar Saathi app offers

Sanchar Saathi, developed by the Department of Telecommunications, is designed to help users secure their digital identities, report suspicious activity and access cyber safety awareness material. It is available both as a mobile app and a web portal. The government maintains the app has no function beyond safeguarding users from cyber threats.

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