Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as Lokpal Chairperson Appointed by President

President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar, a former Supreme Court judge, as the new chairperson of Lokpal. 

• Justice Khanwilkar will be the second Lokpal in India, succeeding Pinaki Chandra Ghose who retired in May 2022 after serving a two-year tenure. 
• Currently, the acting chairperson and judicial member of Lokpal is Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

About appointment

• The appointment of the new Lokpal of India was announced nearly three weeks after a selection committee composed of the Chief Justice of IndiaPrime Minister, Speaker of Lok Sabha, and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
• The newly-appointed Lokpal is Justice Khanwilkar, who will be succeeding Pinaki Chandra Ghose, the first Lokpal of India, who retired in May 2022 after serving for two years. 
• Besides the appointment of Justice Khanwilkar, the President also appointed former high court chief justices, namely Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Justice Sanjay Yadav, and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, as judicial members. 
• Furthermore, three non-judicial members were also appointed, namely Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey. 
  • Sushil Chandra, a former Chief Election Commissioner, and Ritu Raj Awasthi, who is currently the Chairperson of the Law Commission, were among the newly-appointed members. 

About Lokpal 

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011 was passed by the Parliament on December 17, 2013. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 received the Hon'ble President's assent and was notified on January 1, 2014. 

The act became effective on January 16, 2014, and was amended once in 2016 since its notification. 

The Lokpal is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption against public functionaries who fall within the scope and ambit of the Act.

Composition:

The Lokpal is composed of a chairperson and eight members, of which 50% are judicial members.

Tenure 

The term for members is five years, or until they turn 70 whichever is earlier..

Jurisdiction 

The Lokpal has the authority to investigate allegations of corruption against individuals who hold certain positions in the government, including the prime minister, ministers in the Union government, members of Parliament, and officials of the Union government under Groups A, B, C, and D. 

Furthermore, the jurisdiction encompasses the chairpersons, members, officers, and directors of any board, corporation, society, trust, or autonomous body that is established by an Act of Parliament or is wholly or partly funded by the central or state government