Govt seeks proposals to review its fight against corruption

NEW DELHI: The government has decided to conduct a study to assess its fight against corruption as part of a mandatory obligation under a UN convention.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has floated a request seeking proposals to conduct a self evaluation study by independent experts on India's compliance on United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

Last May, the DoPT had invited expression of interest to undertake the study. However, it was decided in October to "close" the offer for want of a minimum of three qualifying applicants.

UNCAC, which acts as a universal legal instrument to deal with the menace of corruption globally, was ratified by India on May 9, 2011.

The convention requires states parties to provide in their domestic legal system, measures, legal and administrative, for prevention of corruption; for making certain acts relating to corruption as criminal offence and providing for sanctions against them and for facilitating recovery of assets in trans-border corruption.

Besides, it calls for promoting widest possible international cooperation in combating trans-border corruption through measures facilitating, mutual legal assistance, extradition and joint investigations.

According to the RFP, the task to be performed by a selected agency would essentially involve collection, compilation and analysis of information on UNCAC and relevant domestic laws.

The assignment will also involve interaction with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Revenue, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Law and Justice, Directorate of Enforcement, Central Vigilance Commission, CBI and National Crime Records Bureau among others.

India is among 164 nations which have either ratified or acceded to the UNCAC provisions.

An interested firm can send in its technical and financial proposal by March 5 to the DoPT.

India has been slotted to be reviewed in 2013-14 by the governmental experts of two other member countries of UNCAC under the review mechanism.