With the Government facing series of corruption allegations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday said that amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act are being examined in order to bring it in line with international practice.

He said unambiguous definition for the term “corruption”, covering both the supply and demand sides, is being sought to be provided.

“Consensual bribery and corporate failure to prevent bribery as a new offence would be taken care of in the proposed amendments under consideration,” he said while addressing the 19th conference of CBI and State Anti Corruption Bureaux-2012.

With the increasing pace of economic development, the country is facing more complex issues of corruption, Singh said.

“The nature of the challenges that our country’s anti-corruption agencies face varies with the level of economic development. These challenges get even more complicated if the pace of it is rapid, as it has been in our country in the last two decades or so,” he added.

Singh also added that investigation agencies need to continuously upgrade their skills and techniques to match the newer methods being adopted for corrupt activities.

The atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do the country no good, he pointed out.

“It can only damage our nation’s image and hit at the morale of the executive… While reiterating our Government’s commitment to fighting the menace of corruption in every possible way, I would like to stress upon the need to protect honest public servants and keep the morale of the executive intact,” Singh said.

> siddhartha.s@thehindu.co.in

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