Centre has initiated the process for appointment of the first Lokpal. Indianmandarins learns that among few prospective contenders for the position of country's anti-corruption Ombudsman, the outgoing Chief Justice of India Justice Deepak Misra, completing his tenure as CJI on October 02, is the strongest contender. The Supreme Court has categorically communicated to the Centre to accord top priority for the appointment of Lokpal. First meeting of the selection committee headed by the Prime Minister was scheduled to be held on July 19 but it has not yet announced the if the Search Committee was constituted. So, the first move to appoint Lokpal is still awaited. The provisions of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 suggests that the Selection Committee would constitute a seven-member search panel to recommend a panel of suitable names for appointment. It may appear contradictory as to how Deepak Misra could be a contender for the coveted position when he is himself part of the Selection Committee. But top sources said there is nothing which could prohibit the seven-member Search Committee from recommending Deepak Misra's name on the panel. Sources claimed Justice Misra would be the first and foremost choice of the government and this is the strong reason to consider him for the slot of country's Ombudsman. Amid petitions with its next hearing on 24 July the Centre appears to have geared up. It may be recalled that the apex court, in its verdict on April 27, 2017, had said there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments, including on the issue of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, were cleared by Parliament. It had said the Act was an eminently workable piece of legislation and "does not create any bar to the enforcement of provisions". Apart from SC's verdict and its directives to fix a time-frame Lokpal is inevitably a crucial issue for Modi administration to accomplish ahead of 2019 General elections.