Question

The adoption of an Ombudsman-type institution in India was first recommended by which of the following?

• A. India Against Corruption Movement, 2011
• B. Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966
• C. Santhanam Committee, 1964
• D. Administrative Reforms Commission, 2005

Hint:

When you think "Lokpal," think "1966 ARC." It was the blueprint for India's independent anti-corruption watchdog system.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Ombudsman institution in India is known as the "Lokpal" at the center and "Lokayukta" in the states. The drive to establish such an institution was a major reform effort starting in the mid-1960s.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- The First Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), set up in 1966 under the chairmanship of Morarji Desai, was the first official body to recommend the establishment of an Ombudsman-type institution.
- They recommended the creation of two authorities: the Lokpal at the national level and the Lokayukta at the state level to deal with complaints against administrative actions, including cases of corruption.
- While earlier committees (like Santhanam) dealt with corruption, the formal institutional design of an Ombudsman was the brainchild of the 1966 ARC.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The first recommendation came from the Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966. Option (B) is correct.

Answer 2

India's Ombudsman-type mechanism eventually took the form of the Lokpal at the Union level and the Lokayukta at the state level. Tracing which body first proposed this institutional design, rather than which body merely worked on corruption in general, is the key to answering this question.

1. India Against Corruption Movement, 2011: This was a mass public movement that pushed hard for a strong anti-corruption ombudsman and directly led to the eventual passage of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. However, it came decades after the concept had already been proposed institutionally, so it cannot be the first recommendation.
2. Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966: The First Administrative Reforms Commission, chaired by Morarji Desai, was constituted in 1966 to overhaul public administration. It was this Commission that first formally recommended setting up two Ombudsman-style authorities, the Lokpal for the Centre and the Lokayukta for the states, to look into complaints of maladministration and corruption against public officials. This is the earliest official recommendation of the institution as such.
3. Santhanam Committee, 1964: This Committee, headed by K. Santhanam, examined the problem of corruption in government and led to the creation of the Central Vigilance Commission. Its focus was on anti-corruption vigilance machinery generally, not on designing a Lokpal-Lokayukta ombudsman structure.
4. Administrative Reforms Commission, 2005: The Second ARC, set up in 2005 under M. Veerappa Moily, reviewed and strengthened public administration reforms and reiterated the need for a strong Lokpal, but by then the idea had already existed for nearly four decades, it refined rather than originated the proposal.

The specific proposal to create Lokpal and Lokayukta institutions on the Ombudsman model was first made by the 1966 Administrative Reforms Commission, well before the later committee, movement, and second commission engaged with the same idea.

Hence, the correct answer is Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966.