<span style="color: #222222;">The Rajya Sabha has passed the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 by a voice vote which seeks to make giving bribes to a public servant an offence and there is a provision of punishment in such act. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Bill introduces the offence of giving a bribe as a direct offence. However, a person who is compelled to give a bribe will not be charged with the offence if he reports the matter to law enforcement authorities within seven days.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Replying to a debate on the bill in the House, Minister for Personnel and Public Grievances </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Dr Jitendra Singh said, the legislation against the corruption has been made wide based. He said, the bill has been brought in the Hosue after it was deliberated in the Standing Committee, Law Commission and finally after holding consultations in the Select Committee. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said, most economic measures brought by the NDA Government are not just economic reforms but also social reforms and reforms in our economic behaviour.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> Initiating discussion, Anand Sharma of the Congress questioned the government for not bringing the Whistle Blowers Protection Amendment Bill along with the bill. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He wanted to know how many real corrupt people were booked so far in the last four years. Mr Sharma also accused the government of misusing the government agencies like CBI and Enforcement Directorate. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Shwait Mallik of BJP elaborated the steps taken by the Narendra Modi government to curb corruption in the country. He said since the NDA government came to power in 2014, it constituted a Special Investigative Team to unearth black money in the country and so far 70 thousand crore rupees black money was unearthed. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said the note ban in 2016 has helped in weeding out the parallel economy in the country and stopped terror funding. Mr Malik said,  opening of Jan Dhan accounts has prevented diversion of funds given to beneficiaries under different schemes resulting in weeding out middlemen.</span><br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Ravi Prakash Verma of Samajwadi Party stressed on the need for administrative and judicial reform while dealing with the menace of corruption. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Members from other political parties including AIADMK, CPI and DMK participated in the discussion. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Now the bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha.</span><br />''