When is Lok Pal getting appointed?
PM Modi assumed chair declaring ‘na khaunga, na khaane dunga’ (in essence, he wouldn’t go corrupt or wouldn’t allow corruption to thrive under him either). It has been almost four and half years since he came into office saying he would fix everything that people who ruled the country for 70 years did wrong. His bhakts have been saying the same thing as well. In another 8 months, his tenure will get over and the country has hardly seen any changes. Instead, common people had to face difficulty owing to bad execution of GST and demonetization.
Manmohan Singh government had brought Right to Information act with the hope that administration has to be transparent and there has to be accountability. This act was so powerful that as a result of this, telecom scam was unearthed. Some people who were ministers in last government were even jailed. This act singed many people even at Panchayat level. Now after Modi government came into power, RTI exists only on paper and people are unable to get any information they seek. Details of expenses on providing security cover to Amit Shah are not available under this act. No information is being provided even if one wants to know about the details about public treasury. Details of persons or industrialists who travelled with PM Modi on official trips are not made available. His education details are never out in public domain. There isn’t any information about warplane purchase. Basically, whatever information is sought by the general public, is never available. Yet, the PM appears on Doordarshan sometimes and claims through lip service that his is the most transparent administration India has ever seen.
In the run up to the elections, Modi had assured that he would be appointing Lok Pal soon after he wins elections. But the government was least interested in executing this even after many years in power. SC even rapped the government for not setting up a committee to make recommendations for the post of Lok Pal. Government defended its actions saying there is no official opposition leader in the Lok Sabha.
According to Lok Pal and Lokayukta Act 2013, the posts and the system has to be in place at both state and central levels. It has been almost five years since this act was passed. But the government has been hesitating to take any further step to materialize this, citing some technical problem or the other. One of the reasons that Lok Sabha does not have official leader of opposition is something very far from the truth. After the Supreme Court rapped the government, a committee was formed. But the leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not made a member, but was invited as a special invitee. Humiliated by this, Kharge did not go to the meeting. Because, invitees have no say in recommendation of Lok Pal.
In the recent times, an amendment has been suggested to anti-corruption bill which penalizes both persons who offer bribe and the ones that receive bribe as well. This is an attempt to create some strong assuring atmosphere in people’s minds against raging corruption. The government says this amendment is aimed at creating confidence. Hence to protect honest officers, even those who offer bribes would be made to stand in the position of guilty as per the law. This ordinance says cases of bribe will have to be disposed of in two years’ time.
Investigation agencies or police cannot register suo moto case against officers. Permission will have to be sought from concerned officers and departments before initiating any step. Retired officers have been insulated from this. Bribe is being interpreted as a criminal misconduct wherein a person has more assets than his known sources of income.
There is an interpretation that anti-corruption bill has been weakened with this. As the act stands now, misuse of power/position and anything that would amount to causing damage to public assets was to be seen as a criminal misconduct. But now with the amendment, this clause has been weakened and the criminals have the opportunity to go scot free. The wrong doing officers have an opportunity to escape the claws of law.
Though it has been mentioned that permission must be sought from suitable authority/department before initiating investigation, there is no clarity on who is the ‘suitable’ person who should be looking into this. Though Lok Pal and Lokayukta systems have to be in place at centre and state respectively, the government is least interested in ensuring this is done. Lame excuses are being given to ensure this system does not come into existence. Narendra Modi had done the same thing when he was Gujarat CM. Even at the centre, he is bent upon creating the same chaotic situation. He feels either the people or the system should never question him or his decisions.
Corruption has been the biggest stumbling block in India’s march towards being a better nation. But to bring an amendment to protect the corrupt and punish the ones that are forced to part with the bribes, is hardly any answer to the problem. Government should appoint Lok Pal and Lokayukta instead of beating around the bush, bringing in undesirable amendments.
Mallikarjun Kharge is a towering personality among opposition parties. He has to be made member of recommendation committee. If this government does not appoint the Lokayukta, people would really suspect the motive of central government, with strong doubts over its integrity.
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Iran Shocks World, Hits F-35
America's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, was never hit in combat — not once, in its entire history. Countries spend over ₹900 crore to buy just one of these aircraft. The whole world believed this plane was untouchable. Then, on March 19, something happened over Iranian skies that shocked military experts across the globe.
Iran hit it. And nobody saw it coming.
America Was Too Confident — That Was the Problem
Before understanding how this happened, you need to understand what America believed going into this. The US had been bombing Iran since February 28. After roughly 20 days of heavy strikes, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Iran's air defences were completely destroyed — finished, flattened, gone.
US President Donald Trump even said proudly, "We can fly wherever we want, and no one is even firing at us."
Based on this confidence, America flew its prized F-35 deep into the heart of central Iran. That alone tells you how sure they were. You don't send your most expensive jet into enemy territory unless you believe there is zero danger.
But Iran, a country under heavy international sanctions, still had something left. And it used that something extremely well.
So How Did Iran Actually Hit a Stealth Jet?
Here is where it gets interesting for regular people to understand.
We have all heard the word "stealth" — it sounds like the plane is completely invisible. But India Today explained that stealth only means it is hard to detect by radar. Hard — not impossible. It does not mean the aircraft is totally invisible.
Think of it this way. Even if you cannot see someone in a dark room, you can still feel their body heat if they stand close enough. That is almost exactly what happened here.
The F-35's engines produce enormous heat. Iran's weapon likely used an infrared sensor — basically a heat-seeking system — to detect that heat, lock onto it, and follow the jet. No radar needed. The F-35's biggest advantage, its radar-invisibility, simply did not matter.
The weapon Iran likely used was the 358 missile — also called SA-67 — which is a loitering munition. Think of it as a slow, intelligent drone that flies around patiently waiting, scanning the sky for heat signals from aircraft engines. Once it finds one, it chases it down. Iran has used this exact weapon before against American MQ-9 Reaper drones — and since this war started, America has already lost more than 12 of those drones.
This Has Happened Before — In 1999
This is not the first time America's "invisible" aircraft was brought down by a smarter enemy.
In 1999, during NATO's bombing campaign over Serbia, the US flew its F-117 Nighthawk — which was then considered the world's most advanced stealth aircraft. Serbian forces shot it down using an old Soviet missile system from the 1960s. Not with new technology — with clever thinking. They briefly switched on their radar, caught the jet at the right moment when its stealth was less effective, and fired.
The lesson both then and now is the same — no aircraft is completely invincible. Smart tactics can beat expensive technology.
Why This Changes Everything in the Iran War
Here is the bigger picture that really matters.
America and Israel had told the world that Iran's air defences were basically dead. Based on that, they sent massive B-1 and B-2 bombers — aircraft that are normally used only when a country is 100% sure it controls the enemy's sky. That is a huge military risk to take.
But if an F-35 — the most advanced aircraft in the sky — can still be hit, then Iran's defences are clearly not dead. Some pieces are still very much alive and working.
This means the US and Israel may now be forced to completely rethink their war plan. Their jets may need to fly higher, use longer-range weapons, and spend far more time and money finding where Iran's remaining defence systems are hiding underground.
Around 15 countries use the F-35 today. Even India was offered this jet by Trump during PM Modi's White House visit — though India has not shown interest so far.
Geopolitical expert Adam summed it up simply — a heavily sanctioned country just tracked, chased, and hit the world's most expensive stealth jet. That is not a small thing.
Sometimes, one moment changes everything.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
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