Ombudsman
Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
An ombudsman is an independent official who looks into citizens' complaints of maladministration. Maladministration means bad or unfair work by government offices. The idea began in Sweden in 1809. In India, L.M. Singhvi coined the word "Lokpal" in 1963. The First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) recommended a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states. Lokpal Bills then failed again and again from 1968 to 2011.
Example
Maharashtra set up the first Lokayukta in 1971. At the national level, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 created the Lokpal. It began working only in 2019, with Justice P.C. Ghose as its first chair.
Don't confuse with
- Central Vigilance Commission (CVC): the CVC supervises vigilance (anti-corruption checks) inside government departments and oversees the CBI on corruption cases, and its role is advisory. An ombudsman takes complaints from citizens.