Officially the ombudsman institution was inaugurated in 1809 in Sweden.
New Zealand and Norway adopted the ombudsman system in 1962.
In India, Law Minister Ashok Kumar Sen was the first to propose the concept of Lokpal in the 1960s.
The term Lokpal and Lokayukta were coined by Dr. L. M. Singhvi.
First ARC recommended the setting of two independent authorities- Lokpal and Lokayukta.
In 2002, the Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution headed by M.N. Venkatachaliah recommended the appointment of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas.
In 2005, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by Veerappa Moily recommended that the office of Lokpal.