The
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of
North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances &
Pensions, Atomic energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh released the 7th
edition of the Vigilance Manual of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) here
today.
Speaking
on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said that continuous efforts are required to
update the mechanisms, as the society and the means always keep on changing. He
said that the ultimate objective of any society should be to achieve the level
of incorruptibility. This is important keeping in view the fact that we are a
young and evolving democracy, he added. The Minister further said that the role
of society is equally important in curbing Corruption, and this task cannot
alone be left to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
Highlighting
the steps taken by the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi, he said that the Government has been following a policy of ‘zero
tolerance’ towards corruption. He said that the Government has always focused on
checking corruption, and at the same time to ensure an environment to every
officer to perform without feeling intimidated by anyone. The bureaucracy
cannot succeed without providing good governance tools, he added. He said that
this environment is important to ensure the policy of ‘minimum government,
maximum governance’ and fulfill the aim of citizen-centricity. Dr Jitendra
Singh also said that the future of India will depend on the youth who are going
to be the change-makers in the society.
Dr
Jitendra Singh said that the concept of ‘preventive vigilance’ is the step in
right direction. He emphasized that awareness needs to be created in the
society on a regular basis for various sections of society. He also
complemented the Commission for putting the manual in the public domain. The
Minister emphasized that timeframe is very important in handling the cases
related to corruption and the same is being streamlined in the amendments to be
made in the Prevention of Corruption Act. Dr Jitendra Singh said that the steps
such as online RTI, online Vigilance manual will bring in transparency and good
governance in the system.
The
Central Vigilance Commissioner Shri KV Chowdary said that this edition was
released keeping in view the fact that guidance is required for the people
working in this area with the changing times and laws. He said that the first
edition was released in the year 1968 after the formation of the Commission in
1964 and the 6th edition was released in the year 2005 after the
Commission became a statutory body in 2003. He said that a lot of changes
including automation have happened in the last twelve years, so the new edition
of the manual was required. He said that the major iniitative and change is to
put the manual in the public domain. The online version is the dynamic one and will
be reviewed online. Any changes including changes in the guidelines and court judgments
will be updated on a continuous basis, the CVC said. He said that it will act
as a reference book
for the vigilance practitioners and bring in transparency. He also said that a
new chapter on Preventive Vigilance and separate
chapters on banking and insurance services have been added in the Manual. Shri
KV Chowdary said that the Commission is developing an e-learning module for
vigilance officers. The Commission is also shifting to e-office, he added.
The edition released today is the 7th
edition of the Vigilance Manual. The 1st edition was released in
1968, 2nd edition of the Manual was released in 1971, 3rd
edition in 1974, 4th edition in 1982, 5th edition in
1991. The last edition of the Vigilance Manual was released in the year 2005
and a need was felt to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing
Vigilance Manual. The present edition of the Vigilance Manual is a public
document accessible through CVC’s website www.cvc.nic.in. The
online version has been released along with the printed version for the first
time. The
2017 edition of the Vigilance Manual incorporates 567 Paras divided into 11
Chapters with appropriate citations. Eleven chapters include: Vigilance
Administration, Appointment,
Role, Functions & Responsibilities of Chief Vigilance Officers, Complaints,
PIDPI complaint, Preliminary Enquiry, CBI, Disciplinary Proceeding and
Suspension, Vigilance management in PSB & PSIC, CTEO, Preventive Vigilance
and some relevant issues.
It has been made a complete document by
hyperlinking orders/circulars cited in the Manual (in the online version). This
Manual will be a reference for almost all aspects of vigilance administration.
Several new topics of vigilance have been included in the present edition. The
manual includes numerous guidelines issued by the Chief technical Examiners’
Organisation of the Central Vigilance Commission. Issues of relevance such as
the Standard Operating Procedure in Legal Cases, Procedure for Obtaining and
Grant of Vigilance Clearance, Right to Information Act, 2005, International Cooperation
against Corruption, Public Participation in Promoting Integrity and Eradicating
Corruption and Forensic Science as a Tool for Enquiry/Investigation, etc. have
also been included. A comprehensive chapter on the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) has also been introduced. The previous edition briefly
dealt with ‘facilities and cooperation to be extended with CBI during
investigation’. In this edition, a detailed chapter on all aspects of
Disciplinary Proceedings and Suspension has also been included.
The
Central Vigilance Commission will constantly update it based on the suggestions
received from all stakeholders. Previous Modifications/amendments were carried
out through Circulars, Guidelines, Instructions etc. issued by the Central
Vigilance Commission / DoPT / MHA etc. These changes have been incorporated in
the Manual so as to make it comprehensive and User Friendly.
Secretary,
DoPT Shri Ajay Mittal, Director CBI Shri Alok Kumar Verma and senior officers of
the PMO, CVC, CBI and other Ministries were also present on the occasion.
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KSD/NK/PK
