India is witnessing an unprecedented citizens’ movement on the issue of implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill. This Bill, which incorporates ambitious provisions to tackle the issue of corruption needs to be properly understood and necessitates a public debate.
In this light, Research Foundation for Governance in India organized a public debate on the Lokpal Bill on Thursday, 7th April at 6.30 PM at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA). It was an open debate where each participant had an equal voice. The debate aimed at developing suggestions from the citizens.
Students and working professionals from different walks of life participated in the debate. Many participants strongly believed that corruption is a big menace in the society today and it has to be tackled seriously. Some also opined that implementation of the lokpal bill should be just one of the many ways in which this could be done. Several pronged approach has to be implemented to tackle corruption. The existing machinery has to be used to the fullest to make sure that transparency and accountability are restored in the societal framework. It also becomes necessary to have more awareness and sensitization about the provisions of the lokpal bill.