Essay - Can Corruption be Eradicated from our Society ?

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Can Corruption be Eradicated from our Society ?

Overview

• What is corruption ?
• Presence of corruption from ancient age to today.
• Causes of corruption. 0 • Some notable cases of corruption.
• Eradication of corruption.
• Can be controlled but not completely eliminated.

Corruption is an act done with intent to give some advantage in consistent with official duty and the rights of others. It includes bribery, but is more comprehensive, because an act may be corruptly done, though the advantage to be derived from it be not offered by another.

Corruption is a very old social malady. It is vital to note that `Atharva Veda' warns people to refrain from corruption. Kautilya's Arthasastra' mentions forty modus operandi adopted by the corrupt people to misappropriate government funds.


The Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji had to considerably increase the pay of his land revenue staff to prevent them from indulging in corruption. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in his book 'The Discovery of India' has written about widespread corruption among British rule in India.

Corruption is like a cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. Many new leaders when come into power declare their determination to eradicate corruption but soon they themselves become corrupt and start gaining huge wealth. Many politicians and government officers are blotted with the mark of corruption. The country's 2015 corruption perception score remains the same as last year's India shares its rank along with six other countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Thailand, Tunisia and Zambia. 

Causes of Corruption

The causes of corruption are many and complex.

Emergence of political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programmes and policies are responsible for the increasing corruption in the politics. Change in the value system and ethical qualities of men who administer. The old ideals of morality, service and honesty are regarded as anachronistic. Tolerance of people towards corruption and the absence of strong public forum to oppose corruption allow it to reign over people. Vast size of population companion with illiteracy and the poor economic infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life. In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to resort to the road of corruption. Complex laws and procedures alienating common people to ask for any help from government. Big industrialist fund, politicians to meet the high cost of election. Bribery to politicians buys influence and bribery by politicians buys votes.

Some Cases of Corruptions in India

Some of the few notable cases are Delhi Jal Board Scam in which former CM Sheila Dixit was accused of floating costly tenders. Delhi Power Scam, under which Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group is accused for inflating their dues to be recovered from consumers by Z 8000 crores and Delhi CNG Scam, in which Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung was accused.

Apart from the above mentioned, there are many other scams that take place such as Gurgaon Marena Group Fraud, Uttarakhand Liquor License Scandal, NTC Land Scam, Corporate Espionage, Bangalore Illegal and Denotification Scam etc.

Many people become materialistic and money oriented, there is no importance of ethics and morals in business dealings for them. This is because these kind of people have no moral accountability to anybody and have full trust on money.

According to them money holds big role in their life and can solve their current and future problems.

The Berlin based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) has put India at the rank 76 out of 168 countries in its latest Corruption Perception Index (2015).

Eradication of Corruption

The basic question is 'can the corruption be eradicated?' Nothing is impossible' can be said by an enthusiastic social leader but eradication of corruption is a next to impossible thing in the present spectrum of affairs. It can only be possible if people can understand and start to believe the values of ethics and morality in their life. The most important thing is person should listen and follow the good part of his heart.

To eradicate corruption from our society the fool proof laws should be made so that there is no room for discretion of politicians and bureaucrats. The role of the politician should be minimised. Application of the evolved policies should be left in the hands of independent commission or authority in each area of public interest. Decision of the commission or authority should be challengeable only in the courts.

One of the common causes which enables corruption prove public servants to demand and obtain illegal gratification which is commonly known as speed money. To remove this lacuna in the administrative procedure, Madhya Pradesh Government passed a law known as the 'Public Services Guarantee ACt' in 2010, laying down reasonable time limits for delivery of different Government services to the people. In 2011, Bihar Government also passed a similar act named as 'Right to Services Act'. All other State Governments should also arrange to get similar acts so that no government servant gets the scope to extract speed money.

It is a high time to promulgate a strong and effective Lokpal Act by the Parliament, enabling Lokpal to take cognisance of specific allegations of corruption even against the Prime Minister of India. The Jan Lokpal Bill was passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in December, 2013 which aims to effectively deter corruption, compensate citizen grievances and protect whistle blowers.

Cooperation of the people needs to be obtained for successful eradication of corruption. People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming indifferent to the electorate. Electoral reforms are crucial to eradicate political corruption. Several reform like state funding of election expenses for candidates making political parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income tax returns, denying persons with criminal records a chance to contest elections should be brought in. More and more courts should be opened for speedy and inexpensive justice so that cases don't linger in courts for years and justice is delivered on time.

Corruption is an intractable problem. It can only be controlled, but not totally eliminated. It may not be possible to root out corruption completely at all levels but it is possible to control it within tolerable limits. Corruption has a corrosive impact on our economy. It worsens our image in international market and leads to loss of overseas opportunities. Corruption is a global problem that all countries of the world have to confront, solutions, however, can only be home grown.

Difficult Words with Meanings :

• Malady any undesirable or disordered condition
• Modus operandi mode of operating or workin
• Anachronistic something old-fashioned or antique
• Espionage the practice of spying
• Spectrum whole range of ideas, qualities, situations etc that are possible
• Discretion the power or right to decide or act according to ones own judgement
• Gratification source of pleasure or satisfaction
• Lacuna a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical arguement
• Promulgate to set forth or teach publicly (a creed, doctrine etc)
• Cognisance knowledge or awareness of something
• Intractable hard to shape or work with
• Corrosive harmful or destructure, as an acid or drug
• Confront face or encounter 

shared by Nisheeta Mirchandani

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