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, 5thedition 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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