Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna addresses the Lokpal Day 2025 program, at Manekshaw Center in New Delhi on Thursday, January 16, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI

The scale of corruption in the country is not limited to the bigger newsworthy scams, but also lies hidden in plain sight in the everyday lives of socially and economically disadvantaged people, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said on Thursday (January 16, 2025).

When examination papers are leaked, he said, it shatters the dreams and aspiration of countless students across the country, deeply affecting the right to public education and the ability to secure jobs. Each instance of such corruption diminishes the public’s trust, he warned.

The CJI was speaking on the occasion of the first Lokpal Foundation Day celebration.

‘Undermines equality’

Corruption can also lead to unfair determination of government contracts, with them being awarded in favour of “friends, related business associates or well connected elites”, the CJI said.

“This kind of corruption is referred to as illegal distribution of State largesse, which disguises itself in sophisticated legal frameworks. Consider the implications: when below poverty line (BPL) cards are only issued to those with influence, we divert crucial resources from those in genuine need. When public housing is allocated to the elites at below market prices, it significantly undermines the principle of equality mentioned in our Constitution,” the CJI said.

He said that the mere establishment of a Lokpal cannot solve the problem of corruption. “For the Lokpal to realise its full potential, it must coordinate seamlessly with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and other referee agencies. Smooth collaboration is essential for gathering evidence, pursuing investigations and filing charges without bureaucratic drag,” the CJI said.

Evolving corruption models

Noting that corruption erodes trust in governance, Lokpal Justice (retd) A.M. Khanwilkar said that the Lokpal Act provides a robust mechanism to investigate corruption in public offices at the highest level. The challenges are evolving as the model of corruption is evolving, he said, warning that the nexus between politicians, business interests and bureaucrats has only grown stronger. This warrants continued vigilance and a timely and effective follow-up cleaning mechanism, he added.

Social activist Anna Hazare, Justice (retd) N. Santosh Hegde, former judge of Supreme Court of India and former Lokayukta of Karnataka, and Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani were the three people felicitated on the occasion of Lokpal Foundation Day.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 came into effect on January 16, 2014.