Lokpal Bill gets President Mukherjee's nod

The much-awaited Lokpal Bill has got the assent from President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 17 and by the Lok Sabha the next day.

According to reports, the Lok Sabha secretariat sent a copy of the bill to the law ministry on Tuesday evening with the signature of Speaker Meira Kumar. It was then forwarded to Rashtrapati Bhavan for the president's signature.

The movement for a Lokpal bill got steam after the agitation launched by veteran social activist Anna Hazare. Earlier, he had voiced disapproval over the initial draft. He gave his thumbs up to the Lokpal bill during his recent fast in Ralegan-Siddhi in Maharashtra.

The ruling Congress had made a fervent appeal to political parties to pass the bill during the winter session of parliament.

The government has agreed to incorporate a key amendment demanded by the opposition BJP, which allows searches or raids by the CBI or police on an officer accused of corruption without notice.

The proposed anti-graft law provides for a Lokpal or national ombudsman to investigate corruption charges against public functionaries.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Lokpal Bill in 2011 to create a Central Lokayukta.

Transparency's landmark 2005 study of corruption in India found that as many as 62 percent of all citizens have had first-hand experience in paying bribes or using influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices.