# Lokayukta
A **Lokayukta** is the state-level anti-corruption ombudsman in India, a statutory body that inquires into allegations of corruption and grievances of maladministration against public servants in a state. The name pairs with the **Lokpal**, the equivalent institution at the Union (central) level, and both trace to the Scandinavian ombudsman model adapted to India.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin of the idea | The first Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) recommended a two-tier machinery: a Lokpal at the Union level and a Lokayukta in each state[1](https://ijlmh.com/article/view/digitising-accountability-india-ombudsmans-constitutional-promise) |
| First state | Maharashtra enacted the Maharashtra Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act, 1971, the first such law in India[2](https://lokayukta.maharashtra.gov.in/en/about-department/objectives-functions/) |
| National framework | The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 came into force on 16 January 2014 and required every state to establish a Lokayukta by law within 365 days[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/brief-history-lokayukta-maharashtra-karnataka-evolution-anti-corruption-8352870/) |
| Term of office | Typically five years; the Maharashtra Act sets five years or until age 70, whichever is earlier[4](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf) |
| Powers | Vary by state: some acts provide suo motu investigation and prosecution powers, while others, such as Gujarat's, give only recommendatory power[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf) • [6](https://indianjournals.com/article/ajrssh-8-3-006) |
| Transparency | Only seven of the twenty-nine State Lokayuktas publish their own annual reports[1](https://ijlmh.com/article/view/digitising-accountability-india-ombudsmans-constitutional-promise) |
## Origins
The idea of an Indian ombudsman was raised in the [Lok Sabha](https://www.edgepedia.org/lok-sabha) on 3 April 1963 by Dr. L.M. Singhvi, who coined the terms Lokpal and Lokayukta during a debate on the Ministry of Law and Justice's budget demands[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf). In 1966 the first [Administrative Reforms Commission](https://www.edgepedia.org/administrative-reforms-commission), headed by [Morarji Desai](https://www.edgepedia.org/morarji-desai), recommended a two-tier machinery to redress citizens' grievances: a Lokpal for complaints against central ministers and secretaries, and a Lokayukta in each state for the rest of the bureaucracy[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf) • [2](https://lokayukta.maharashtra.gov.in/en/about-department/objectives-functions/).
At the central level the proposal stalled for decades: bills seeking a Lokpal were introduced in the Lok Sabha nine times between 1968 and 2011 and all lapsed or were withdrawn[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf). The states moved first. Maharashtra enacted its Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act in 1971, followed by [Madhya Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/madhya-pradesh) (1981), [Andhra Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/andhra-pradesh) and [Himachal Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/himachal-pradesh) (1983), Karnataka (1984), Assam (1985), Gujarat (1986), Delhi (1995), Kerala (1999), Jharkhand (2001), Chhattisgarh (2002), and Haryana (2003)[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf). Odisha enacted a law in 1970 but brought it into force only in 1983[7](https://shuunnya.org/learn/shuunnya-notes/indian-polity-notes/61-lokpal-and-lokayuktas/05-drawbacks-and-rise-of-state-lokayuktas).
## The 2013 Act and the national framework
The demand for a statutory anti-corruption watchdog gained national attention during the 2011 India Against Corruption movement led by [Anna Hazare](https://www.edgepedia.org/anna-hazare)[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/brief-history-lokayukta-maharashtra-karnataka-evolution-anti-corruption-8352870/). [The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-lokpal-and-lokayuktas-act-2013) received presidential assent on 1 January 2014 as Act No. 1 of 2014 and came into force on 16 January 2014[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf) • [3](https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/brief-history-lokayukta-maharashtra-karnataka-evolution-anti-corruption-8352870/). Section 63 of the Act directs every state to establish a body called the Lokayukta to deal with complaints of corruption against certain public functionaries[4](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf).
The Act leaves the contours of each state Lokayukta to the state legislature, so jurisdiction, appointment procedure, and powers differ from state to state[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf). Constitutional scholars note that this federal fragmentation produces uneven accountability, with the institution more symbolic than substantive as a check on power in a number of states[1](https://ijlmh.com/article/view/digitising-accountability-india-ombudsmans-constitutional-promise).
## Structure and appointment
State acts differ in composition, but recent laws follow a common pattern. The Maharashtra Lokayukta Act, 2023 establishes a body consisting of a Chairperson, who is or has been a Chief Justice of a High Court, a Supreme Court judge, or a [Bombay High Court](https://www.edgepedia.org/bombay-high-court) judge, and up to four members, of whom two must be judicial members[4](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf). The Chairperson and members are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a Selection Committee chaired by the Chief Minister and including the Deputy Chief Minister, the presiding officers of both houses, the leaders of the opposition in both houses, and a Bombay High Court judge[4](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf). The term is five years or until the age of seventy, whichever is earlier[4](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf).
Andhra Pradesh amended its act with effect from 3 December 2024 to require that the Lokayukta be a retired Chief Justice or judge of a High Court, the Upa-Lokayukta a retired District Judge of the state, and to set a five-member Selection Committee chaired by the Chief Minister; the term may not exceed five years from appointment[8](https://lokayukta.ap.gov.in/files/Annual-Report-2024.pdf).
## Powers and jurisdiction
The core function is inquiry into allegations that a public servant abused position for gain, acted from corrupt motives, or showed lack of integrity, and into grievances arising from maladministration[4](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf). In [Maharashtra](https://www.edgepedia.org/maharashtra) the Lokayukta's jurisdiction covers ministers other than the Chief Minister, secretaries to government, local government officials, and members of zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, municipal councils, and municipal corporations[2](https://lokayukta.maharashtra.gov.in/en/about-department/objectives-functions/).
The strength of these powers varies widely. Gujarat, [Karnataka](https://www.edgepedia.org/karnataka), Bihar, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh provide for suo motu investigation, meaning the Lokayukta may open an inquiry without a complaint; some state acts also confer prosecution powers and means to enforce recommendations[5](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf). Gujarat's Lokayukta, by contrast, has been described in academic writing as a "toothless snake" and "paper tiger" because it holds only recommendatory power[6](https://indianjournals.com/article/ajrssh-8-3-006). The Karnataka Lokayukta's power to initiate prosecution has been judicially read to include the incidental powers needed to complete an investigation[9](https://hindi.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/kar-hc-acb-430045-430096.pdf).
## Operational weaknesses
Recurring criticisms cluster around independence, resources, and follow-through. In many states the Lokayukta has no independent investigation agency: in Odisha it has no investigation wing and the state vigilance department does not report to it; in Punjab the Vigilance Bureau works independently under the Chief Secretary; in Haryana the investigation wing has been defunct for most years[10](https://indianjournals.com/article/pag-1-2-003). Many Lokayuktas lack sufficient staff and premises, and state governments have diluted effectiveness through amendments after unfavorable remarks[10](https://indianjournals.com/article/pag-1-2-003). Recommendations often go unenforced, and annual reports are not always tabled in the legislature on time[10](https://indianjournals.com/article/pag-1-2-003).
Transparency is thin on the institution's own side: only seven of the twenty-nine State Lokayuktas publish their own annual reports, leaving citizens little data on how the bodies perform[1](https://ijlmh.com/article/view/digitising-accountability-india-ombudsmans-constitutional-promise). A study of the Karnataka Lokayukta's health-sector work found it was generally perceived as having controlled corrupt practices and promoted good governance, but it could not introduce proposed institutional changes because of political resistance and a short tenure in office[11](https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/26/6/471/761778).
## Recent appointments
The institution continues to be staffed and reformed state by state. Under the Maharashtra Lokayukta Act, 2023, Justice Sunil Balkrishna Shukre, a former Bombay High Court judge, was sworn in as Chairman of the Maharashtra Lokayukta Institution on 25 August 2026, administered by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, for a term of five years or until age 70, whichever is earlier[12](https://lokbhavan.maharashtra.gov.in/en/25-08-2026-justice-sunil-shukre-sworn-in-as-chairman-of-lokayukta-institution/). In Gujarat, former High Court judge Justice Biren Vaishnav was sworn in as Lokayukta on 13 May 2026 at [Gandhinagar](https://www.edgepedia.org/gandhinagar)[13](https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/retired-gujarat-high-court-judge-justice-biren-vaishnav-takes-oath-as-states-lokayukta-534986).
## References
1. [Digitising Accountability in India: The Ombudsman's Constitutional Promise in the Age of CPGRAMS and AI-Driven Governance, IJLMH](https://ijlmh.com/article/view/digitising-accountability-india-ombudsmans-constitutional-promise)
2. [Objectives & Functions, Lokayukta Maharashtra](https://lokayukta.maharashtra.gov.in/en/about-department/objectives-functions/)
3. [A brief history of Lokayukta: Maharashtra to Karnataka, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/brief-history-lokayukta-maharashtra-karnataka-evolution-anti-corruption-8352870/)
4. [The Maharashtra Lokayukta Act, 2023 (text as on 7 January 2026)](https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s36a4cbdaedcbda0fa8ddc7ea32073c475/uploads/2026/02/20260216371303565.pdf)
5. [Compendium on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, Rajya Sabha Secretariat](https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Lokpal_LokayuAct%202013.pdf)
6. [William Nunes (2018). The Gujarat Lokayukta: Need to Reform for Ensuring Good Governance, Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities](https://indianjournals.com/article/ajrssh-8-3-006)
7. [Drawbacks of the 2013 Act and the Rise of State Lokayuktas, Shuunnya](https://shuunnya.org/learn/shuunnya-notes/indian-polity-notes/61-lokpal-and-lokayuktas/05-drawbacks-and-rise-of-state-lokayuktas)
8. [Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta Annual Report 2024](https://lokayukta.ap.gov.in/files/Annual-Report-2024.pdf)
9. [Karnataka High Court judgment on Lokayukta police powers, LiveLaw PDF](https://hindi.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/kar-hc-acb-430045-430096.pdf)
10. [Lokpal: A Tool of People's Control on Administration, Public Affairs and Governance](https://indianjournals.com/article/pag-1-2-003)
11. [Good governance and corruption in the health sector: lessons from the Karnataka experience, Health Policy and Planning](https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/26/6/471/761778)
12. [Justice Sunil Shukre sworn in as Chairman of Lokayukta Institution, Lok Bhavan Maharashtra](https://lokbhavan.maharashtra.gov.in/en/25-08-2026-justice-sunil-shukre-sworn-in-as-chairman-of-lokayukta-institution/)
13. [Former Gujarat High Court Judge Justice Biren Vaishnav Takes Oath As State's Lokayukta, LiveLaw](https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/retired-gujarat-high-court-judge-justice-biren-vaishnav-takes-oath-as-states-lokayukta-534986)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Constitutional and administrative law › Ombudsman institutions*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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