The Nation Archives - Accountability Lab

‘Integrity Idol’ hunts for honest bureaucrats

This article was originally published by The Nation. Pakistan routinely ranks among the world's most corrupt countries, but reality TV show "Integrity Idol" aims to tackle the scourge by highlighting some of the nation's honest bureaucrats. A Punjab official who cracked down on bribery in his district linked to land registration came out tops in the show's finale Wednesday. Members of the public initially nominated some 300 government employees who were subsequently whittled down to five by a panel of official law enforcement experts who performed background checks. "I told all of the inhabitants of the area that if any [...]

Nepal bureaucrat clinches ‘Integrity Idol’ crown

By: AFP. This article was originally published by The Nation newspaper. Nepalese civil servant Gyan Mani Nepal doesn’t sing, dance or perform magic tricks - but all eyes were on the bespectacled bureaucrat on Sunday when he became the country’s first Integrity Idol. The online contest, which eschewed the glitz of popular television talent shows, saw nearly 10,000 people cast their votes via text message and Facebook in a bid to encourage honesty in the corruption-ridden Himalayan nation. An education official in eastern Panchthar district, Nepal won praise for his efforts to increase teacher attendance and boost student pass rates [...]