Lokpal
Quasi-judicial
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
De jure
60
De facto
15
Volatility
20
Legitimacy
35
In theory
A statutory anti-corruption ombudsman empowered to inquire into corruption allegations against public servants, including sitting Union Ministers and, with safeguards, the Prime Minister.
In practice
The Act passed in 2013 but the first Lokpal wasn't appointed until 2019 -- delayed partly by disputes over the selection committee's composition in the absence of a recognised Leader of Opposition; as of early 2025 it had ordered preliminary inquiries in only 24 cases over five years and secured prosecution sanctions in just 6, with no completed prosecutions, feeding its widely used "toothless tiger" label.
Checks and balances
This office checks
None recorded yet.
Sources
- Lokpal case-outcome data as reported January 2025 (24 preliminary inquiries, 6 prosecution sanctions, 0 completed prosecutions over five years)
- Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, 145th Report