With the issue of corruption becoming a major point of confrontation between the UPA government and the Opposition, the Centre has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by home minister P Chidambram to consider the proposals mooted by the law ministry on ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
An earlier GoM on the subject, constituted on September 17 last year after a decision was taken by the Union Cabinet on September 9, remained a non-starter and could not hold any meeting.
Sources said other members of the re-constituted GoM are law minister M Veerappa Moily, HRD minister Kapil Sibal and minister of state for parliamentary affairs V Narayanasamy.
During the G-20 Summit in Seoul, India had signed its anti-corruption action plan, which requires it to ratify and implement the UN Convention. The need to refer the matter to the GoM arose after differences persisted within the government on whether appropriate legislation to amend the relevant Indian laws should be drafted before or after Parliament ratifies the Convention.
There is also lack of unanimity on whether the private sector should be brought under the purview of the anti-corruption laws, including whether giving and accepting of bribe there should be made a criminal offence.
The terms of reference of the GoM say that it would study the proposals with regard to the ratification of the Convention and give suggestions at the earliest.
Among other things, the UN Convention against Corruption makes it obligatory for the signitories to check corruption in the private sector. A government functionary said that while the Prevention of Corruption Act does provide for measures to deal with corrupt government officials and public servants, it is silent on corruption in the private sector.