Full Form of CVC

Central Vigilance Commission is the full name of the organization. Addressing vigilance issues, particularly corruption in central government agencies, is the responsibility of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), an Indian government authority.

An Outline of the Commission on Central Vigilance

The Indian government established the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), an independent quasi-judicial organization, to combat corruption in the nation's public sector. On the advice of the Administrative Reforms Commission, it was founded in 1964. The CVC is in charge of encouraging integrity in the public sector and offering advice and direction to the government on issues about vigilance. In addition, it looks into allegations of corruption towards public servants and, when necessary, suggests disciplinary action. The CVC also has the authority to give government entities recommendations on vigilance-related issues and assess the status of investigations into corruption cases. The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the President of India collaborate to appoint the Central Vigilance Commissioner, who leads the CVC (the lower house of India's Parliament).

Authority

The following areas fall under the CVC's purview:

Central government officers in Group A and All India Services personnel officers in public sector banks with rank scale V and higher Supervisors and higher in general insurance firms, at least senior divisional managers in life insurance firms

Central Vigilance Commission's Founding

The Indian government's independent Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was founded in 1964 to combat corruption in the public sector. It was established to look into cases of public servant corruption and to advise and direct agencies of the Central Government about vigilance. Two Vigilance Commissioners support the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) in her leadership role. Since the CVC is an advisory agency, neither the government nor entities in the public sector are required to follow its recommendations. On the other hand, the government must take the CVC's recommendations seriously.

Features of the CVC

1. Apex Vigilance Body
2. Absent from the executive branch
3. Keeping an eye on vigilante action
4. Advising different central bodies on how to organize, monitor, and carry out their tasks
5. Multiple-Member

Organization

• The body's chairman, the central vigilance commissioner, is assisted and advised by two other commissioners.
• The President chooses them based on the advice of a three-person committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the opposition leader Leader in the Lok Sabha.
• The term of office is four years, or until the age of sixty-five, whichever comes first.
• No appointment again in both the federal and state administrations.
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Removing Criteria

• If he is deemed insolvent.
• If he holds paid employment outside his job during his term in office.
• If his financial or other interests conflict with his official role.
• If his physical or mental condition prevents him from continuing.
• If he is found guilty of a crime involving moral turpitude.
• If misconduct or incompetence is established, the President may be removed.

Participants in the Central Vigilance Commission

The following people make up the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC):

1. The Central Vigilance Commissioner is Shri K.V. Chowdary.
2. Shri T.M. Bhasin is the Commissioner of Vigilance
3. Commissioner of Vigilance is Shri Archana Ramasundaram
4. The Chief Vigilance Officer (Additional Charge) is Shri A.K. Jain

Roles

The following are the roles that CVC plays:

• Investigate, order an investigation into, and question a public official or the authorities over any offences against the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988.
• Supervision of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) operations about the 1988 Prevention of Corruption Act.
• Give the CBI instructions for overseeing actions to take.
• Examine the results of the CBI's investigation into the acts' listed subjects.
• To assess the prosecution's application's development.
• Providing the central government with tender advice on issues presented to them.
• Watchfulness in ministries.
• Respond to grievances filed under the Public Interest Disclosure and Informers' Protection Act.
• Consultation on disciplinary issues, when rules and regulations for central services and All India services employees, are being created.
• Notice of suspicious transactions by the 2002 Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Central Vigilance Commission's Internal Organisation

Established in 1964, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is the highest-level government authority in India. It is tasked with resolving public complaints and enhancing the honesty and effectiveness of the public sector. It is an independent body not under the authority of the government's executive branch.

A Central Vigilance Commissioner leads the CVC, with the assistance of a maximum of two Vigilance Commissioners. On the advice of a committee comprised of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the President of India appoints the Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Vigilance Commissioners.

A Secretariat supports the CVC and oversees the Commission's day-to-day operations. A Secretary leads the Secretariat with the help of several Directors, Deputy Secretaries, and other auxiliary personnel.

The CVC is divided into several departments, each with a Director or Deputy Secretary in charge and assigned to a certain area of work. Among these divisions are:

• The Administrative Division oversees the Commission's personnel, budget, and financial affairs.
• The legal Division is in charge of managing legal matters and advising the Commission on them.
• Division of Investigations is responsible for investigating claims of wrongdoing and corruption in the public sector.
• The Public Grievances Division is in charge of handling complaints and grievances from the public regarding misbehavior and corruption in the public sector.
• The Division of Research and Policy is responsible for conducting research and recommending policies to the Commission.

Additionally, the CVC maintains regional offices across the nation, which manage complaints and cases on a regional scale.

How the CVC Operates

CVC's main office is located in New Delhi. It exclusively has its meetings at the headquarters. It is capable of running its affairs. Furthermore, the CVC's procedures are of judicial quality.

During these organizations' vigilance and anti-corruption efforts, they may obtain information from the central government or its representatives. The central government receives advice on the next steps based on the findings of any agency's investigation or recommendations. The central government considers the CVC's opinion, and if it disagrees with it, it must provide the CVC written notice of its disagreement. Ultimately, the CVC submits a yearly performance report to the President, who delivers it to the Parliament.

Central Vigilance Commission's Objectives

The CVC's primary objectives are:

• To encourage honesty and morality in the work of all public employees, including police and military personnel.
• To provide central government agencies with guidance and advice on carrying out and enforcing policies to prevent misbehaviour and corruption.
• To accept and look into accusations of wrongdoing and corruption by public officials.
• To recommend disciplinary action against public employees found to have engaged in misconduct or corruption and to take appropriate action based on the results of its inquiries and investigations.
• To advise the government on vigilance-related issues and how to increase the system's efficiency.
• To assess the status of inquiries into allegations of wrongdoing and corruption by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other organizations.

The Central Vigilance Commission's Duties

The CVC's primary duties are:

• To look into claims of wrongdoing and corruption against public employees, including those working for the federal government, state governments, and public sector organizations.
• To provide guidance and advice on issues related to promoting integrity and preventing corruption to federal, state, and local governments and public sector organizations.
• To assess how the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other agencies are doing with their investigations into allegations of misconduct and corruption.
• To examine the government's and the public sector's vigilance efforts and recommend how to strengthen their vigilance programs.
• Consider and rule on appeals made by government employees against their disciplinary actions.
• To assess how well the Commission's recommendations are being implemented and to take additional measures as needed.
• To conduct investigations and studies on integrity promotion and corruption prevention in the public sector.
• To carry out any additional duties that the President of India may designate.

Central Vigilance Commission Reports

Every year, the President of India receives reports from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) detailing the Commission's accomplishments and actions. The Parliament is then presented with these reports.

The CVC may, when needed, create and submit special reports on particular problems or subjects in addition to the annual reports.

The CVC's annual and special reports offer comprehensive details on the Commission's operations, including the number of cases it receives and resolves, the progress of its ongoing investigations, and its recommendations. They also shed light on the common patterns of corruption and the actions being done to combat them.

Since they give a clear picture of the Commission's performance and its initiatives to advance honesty and integrity in the public sector, the CVC's reports are an invaluable resource of data for the government, the Parliament, and the general public.

The Central Vigilance Commission's Accomplishments

Among the CVC's accomplishments are:

• Through implementing several initiatives, including establishing the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Code of Conduct for government personnel, the CVC has been instrumental in improving the vigilance mechanism inside the central government.
• Using resources like the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Handbook and Manual, the CVC has also contributed to the establishment of a robust system for preventing corruption.
• Using various instruments, including the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Handbook and Manual, the CVC has also made a major contribution to creating policies and practices for the prevention of corruption.
• Through the use of several instruments, including the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Handbook and Manual, the CVC has also built a system for monitoring and assessing the efficacy of its efforts to combat corruption.
• Using various instruments, including the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Handbook and Manual, the CVC has also made a major contribution to the creation of policies and practices for the avoidance of corruption in the central government.

Ministries' Vigilance Units

The vigilance division, which is present in all Union Government ministries and departments, is led by the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO). In addition, CVO counsels and supports the secretary or head of the office on vigilance-related issues.

The Chief Vigilance Officer is a liaison between his department, the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the CVC.

The chief vigilance officer's duties in terms of vigilance are:

1. gathering information on dishonest behaviour by organization personnel
2. looking into claims made against them
3. examining inquiry reports in more detail
4. sending issues to the CVC

Whistleblowers

These are typically workers who reveal facts or actions that are unlawful, illicit or involve the misuse of public funds—in other words, those who reveal corruption. The Whistleblowers Protection Act of 2014 was created specifically to protect whistleblowers.

The 2014 Whistleblowers Protection Act

The following are the main characteristics of the Whistleblowers Protection Act of 2014:

1. Specially protected groups are not covered by the Act.
2. False complaints are punishable under the Act by up to two years in prison and a fine of Rs. thirty thousand.
3. The statute gives whistleblowers a way to protect their identities, preventing them from being victimized.
4. People are encouraged under the statute to come forward with information concerning corruption.
5. According to the statute, all disclosures must be provided in good faith.

The Central Vigilance Commission's Advantages

The following are a few advantages of the CVC:

• Independence: The CVC operates independently of the government and other governing bodies. This enables it to perform its responsibilities without worrying about intervention or pressure from any source.
• Transparency: One of the CVC's mandates is encouraging openness in government agencies and groups' business. It accomplishes this using several tools, including the Public Interest Disclosure Scheme, the Right to Information Act, and Vigilance Awareness Week.
• Effectiveness: The CVC has the authority to investigate claims of corruption and discipline officials who are found to have acted improperly. This makes it easier to ensure that dishonest business is eradicated and that public employees are held responsible for their activities.
• Public confidence: The CVC is crucial in preserving the public's faith in the government and its agencies. The CVC generally enhances the credibility of the public sector and contributes to restoring public trust in its integrity by eliminating corruption.

The Central Vigilance Commission's Limitations

The following are the limitations of CVC:

• Absence of legal authority: The CVC cannot prosecute dishonest officials under any laws. It can only suggest that the relevant department or agency take action.
• Restricted authority: Only public sector organizations and central government ministries fall under the CVC's purview. It lacks the jurisdiction to go into allegations of corruption in state governments or businesses.
• Dependency on other agencies: To conduct investigations and act against dishonest officials, the CVC depends on other authorities, including the Directorate of Enforcement and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• Restricted resources: The CVC may be unable to thoroughly investigate and handle corruption cases because of its tiny personnel and lack of resources.
• Political meddling: The CVC has occasionally experienced political meddling, which could compromise its impartiality and capacity to combat corruption.

Summary

The goal of the Chief Vigilance Commission is to eradicate corruption from central government agencies, departments, and entities. Regarding issues related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 1988, and the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002, it serves as a watchdog for the CBI and the government.