‘A national Lokpal, however strong it may be, cannot resolve the problems of immorality in public affairs.’ Discuss.

Introduction

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 created a national ombudsman to inquire into corruption allegations against public functionaries, including the Prime Minister with safeguards. Yet corruption is only the legally punishable subset of a wider immorality in public life — nepotism, conflict of interest, opportunism and money power — which no single institution can resolve.

What a Lokpal can achieve

• Independent inquiry insulated from executive control, and deterrence through credible prosecution.
• A visible apex complaint point that signals political will against graft.

Why it cannot resolve immorality

• It is punitive, not preventive: it acts after wrongdoing, and only on offences defined under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
• Immorality extends beyond illegality — favouritism, cronyism, opaque political funding and abuse of discretion rarely constitute prosecutable offences.
• Institutional limits persist: the first Lokpal was appointed only in 2019, and the body depends on existing investigating agencies.
• An overloaded national ombudsman cannot substitute for everyday supervisory accountability within departments.
• Morality is normative: it grows from political culture, ethical leadership and citizen vigilance, not statutes alone.

Complementary measures

• Transparency in electoral funding — underscored by the Supreme Court's 2024 electoral bonds verdict.
• Preventive vigilance, integrity pacts and e-governance to shrink discretionary space.
• RTI, social audit, effective citizens' charters, whistle-blower protection and ethics training in the services.

Conclusion

A strong Lokpal is necessary infrastructure but not a moral cure. As Gandhi insisted, public life is cleansed by means as much as ends — institutions must be matched by an ethical culture that makes integrity the norm.