About Vigilance
Bharat Electronics Limited is a Navratna PSU (under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India) established in the year 1954. BEL is engaged in the business of Defence Electronics empowering the Nation’s Defence Forces and in other chosen areas of Professional Electronics.
BEL recognizes the importance of Probity, Integrity, Values and Ethics which are bedrock for good Corporate Governance. Vigilance is essentially a Management function. It provides important instruments for improving performance of an organisation facilitating good governance. This includes promoting clean business transactions, professionalism, productivity, promptness and ethical practises. It also assists in systemic improvements in curbing opportunities for corruption. Therefore Vigilance helps in improving efficiency and effectiveness of the personnel as well as the Organisation.
Vigilance Department in BEL was set up in 2003 and the Vigilance Officers are positioned in all the Divisions of BEL spread across 9 Units of BEL who report to the CVO stationed at the Corporate Office of BEL in Bangalore.
The department’s activities apart from investigation of complaints, ensures compliance to various regulations and guidelines as defined by CVC / MoD / CBI / BEL Corporate Guidelines / any other Regulatory and Statutory requirements. The department initiates proactive steps to ensure ethical work practices across the company. Along with the reactive and punitive response, the department takes preventive and reformative measures in improving the system in the organization.
Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO)
The Head of the Vigilance Department in BEL is Chief Vigilance Officer (Officer on deputation from Central government deputed by the CVC). The Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) heads the Vigilance Division of the organisation concerned and acts as an advisor to the chief executive in all matters pertaining to vigilance. He also provides a link between his organisation and the Central Vigilance Commission on one hand and his organisation and the Central Bureau of Investigation on the other. Vigilance functions to be performed by the CVO are of wide sweep and include collecting intelligence about the corrupt practices committed, or likely to be committed by the employees of his organisation; investigating or causing an investigation to be made into verifiable allegations reported to him; processing investigation reports for further consideration of the disciplinary authority concerned; referring the matters to the Commission for advice wherever necessary; taking steps to prevent improper practices or commission of misconducts; examining audit, inspection and other reports from the point of vigilance angle, etc. Thus, the CVO’s functionscan be broadly divided into three categories, viz. (i) Preventive vigilance;(ii) Punitive vigilance; and (iii) Surveillance and detection.
List of CVOs in BEL Till Date
- Ms Kalyani Sethuraman, IRAS, (additional charge) - February 2024 onwards
- Shri Shrikant Walgad, IAS – 2019 to 2024
- Shri S Shiva Kumar, IAS - 2013 to 2019
- Dr M N Krishnamurthy, IPS - 2011 to 2013
- Shri Syed Kabeer Ahmad, IRSME - 2008 to 2011
- Shri Chandrashekar M Bhat, IPS - 2003 to 2008