What is the Meaning of Whistleblower

The term ‘whistleblower’ has been repeatedly mentioned in various news articles ever since Hindenburg Research posted on X, “Something big soon India.” Hindenburg Research is a US short seller which caused Adani Group’s shares to decline rapidly after accusing the conglomerate of financial irregularities. And yes, the same short seller also recently made some allegations about SEBI’s Chairman Madhabi Puri after the former received some ‘whistleblower’ documents. So, what does whistleblower mean? Let’s find out.

Whistleblower Meaning

Any individual who reports fraud, abuse, corruption, dangers to public health and safety to someone who’s in the position to prevent or rectify the wrongdoing can be called a whistleblower. The whistleblower reveals information about the wrongdoing which cannot be known otherwise. Generally, this individual works inside the organization where the wrongdoing is happening. However, it isn’t necessary. The whole point is that the information gets disclosed, so as to protect the public.

Many times, whistleblowers get rewarded for helping out the government. In case of any false or frivolous disclosure, whistleblowers can get punished in India according to the provisions of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act 2014.

Origination of the Term ‘Whistleblower’

The term whistleblower originated in the 19th century. It combines two terms: “whistle”, which is a device used to call attention or alert people and “blower”, which is used for referring to the individual issuing the alert by blowing the whistle. American Political Activist Ralph Nader is often credited with coining the modern usage of the term whistleblower, so as to avoid the negative connotations of alternatives such as “informer”.

List of Actions reported by Whistleblowers

Generally, the following actions are reported by whistleblowers.

• Corruption
• Criminal Offense by a Public Servant
• Disregarding public health and safety
• Adulteration of Drugs
• Theft
• Waste
• Fraud
• Abuse of Power
• Lawbreaking

Example of Whistleblower

One notable example of a whistleblower is Edward Snowden. He was a former CIA employee who leaked classified and confidential information to the public from the United States National Security Agency in the year 2013.   In 2022, he became a naturalized citizen in Russia. In many articles, he’s referred to as a ‘US whistleblower.’

Conclusion

The term ‘whistleblower’ is used commonly to describe an individual who discloses helpful information for the safety and welfare of the public. The information disclosed must not be false or misleading to the public as this can result in getting punished by the court of law, according to the provisions of the Whistle Blower Protection Act 2014. 

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