Whistle Blower Portal: IREDA

Context:

Recently, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has launched a ‘whistle-blower Portal’, as a part of ‘Vigilance Awareness Week 2021’.

Theme- ‘Independent India @75: Self Reliance with Integrity’.

Key Highlights of Whistle Blower Portal:

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), a PSU under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) today launched a ‘Whistle blower Portal’,
• The portal launched as a part of ‘Vigilance Awareness Week 2021’.
• Through this portal, IREDA employees can raise concerns related to fraud, corruption, abuse of power etc.
• The portal has been developed by IT Team of the company.
• Launching the portal, IREDA highlighted that Whistle-blower portal is a part of a IREDA’s “zero tolerance” of corruption.
• During the session, she addressed all the queries raised by the participants and encouraged IREDA employees to work as ambassador of CVC to fight against corruption.
• On this occasion, latest issue of Vigilance journal ‘Pahal’ was also released by IREDA.
• During the week-long Vigilance Awareness campaign (26th October to 2nd November 2021), various activities like interaction with customers & vendors for redressal of their grievances, seminars, workshops, speech competition, quiz among employees, drawing competitions, dance competitions for students, Nukkad-Natakand other vigilance related awareness activities were carried out in line with the ‘Vigilance Awareness Week 2021’

What is the Status of corruption in India?

• India continues to be among the most corrupt countries in the world. According to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) which ranks 180 countries awards India a score of 40, rendering it the 81st most corrupt country in the world. It should be noted that underdeveloped nations like Ghana, Morocco have also achieved the same score
• India’s ranking in the CPI-2019 has slipped from 78 to 80 compared to the previous year.
• Its score of 41 out of 100 remains the same, less even than the poor Asia-Pacific average of 45.
• CPI highlighted that unfair and opaque political financing, undue influence in decision-making and lobbying by powerful corporate interest groups, has resulted in stagnation or decline in the control of corruption.
• As per the India Corruption Survey 2019, 51% of the respondents admitted to paying bribes. Rajasthan and Bihar fared the worst in the country with 78% and 75% of respondents admitting to paying bribes.

• Causes:
  • The important causes of corruption in India are poor regulatory framework, exclusivist process of decision making aggravated by discretion and official secrecy, rigid bureaucratic structures and processes; and absence of effective internal control mechanism.

• Impact:
  • It promotes inefficiencies in utilisation of resources, distorts the markets, compromises quality, destroys the environment and of late has become a serious threat to national security.

Initiatives Taken:

• Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
• The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
• The Companies Act, 2013.
• The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.
• The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
• Central Vigilance Commission

Source: PIB

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