Corruption

Corruption 

 

Majority of us are aware of the term “corruption” as it is frequently used in daily parlance. What is corruption? Different pictures emerge in our mind.  The most plausible reference to the nature of corruption could be assessed in the words of Joe Bidden, 47th Vice President of the United States of America, “Corruption is just another form of tyranny.” The statement weighs corruption as equivalent to that of cruel and oppressive rule of government. However, for a common man/woman, corruption is a challenge, that he/she faces every day for protecting his/her fundamental rights and other privileges provided to him as human beings guaranteed by the Constitution. Corruption in public life is a way to get selfish gains through illegal methods and by misuse of public posts and public property. Corruption for private firms/companies is all about making unfair profits by exploiting the employees and consumers by circumventing government laws.  Corruption prevails in every sector and at every level in the country whether big or small. Corrupt means and unfair ways are used to accomplish several big and small tasks by people belonging to the government as well as private sectors. This is because people want to make big bucks without much hard work.

 

Changes in the Indian society such as the westernisation, industrialisation, urbanisation, secularisation has brought various modification in the values and the attitudes that are to be associated with the lifestyle, marriage, education, economy etc. Undergoing such changes, India is facing several issues. A case study on social issues in India demonstrates corruption as a vital social issue that prevails throughout the nation. In common parlance, corruption means unlawful dishonesty involving bribery.

 

India has been considered one of the ten most corrupt countries in the world. The main reason for the corruption is greed. People want to become rich by using the shortcut, which results in corruption. The businessman class people practice different methods of corruption to increase their profits. The officers or bureaucrats commit corrupt methods to earn money to lead a happy and luxurious life, maintain a high standard and social status, and equalize them to the higher strata people. To get elected, politicians bribe the poor people.

 

Though the ranking of India in Global Corruption Index 2018 has improved by three ranks at a global rank of 78 among other countries. India is still far from becoming a corruption free nation. Corruption in India was prevailing even during the reign of British Empire. Even Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Muslim League leader, who conspired to divide India by creating Pakistan on August 14, 1947 acknowledged the rampant corruption during British rule in undivided India : “One of the biggest curses from which India is suffering—I do not say that other countries are free from it, but I think our condition is much worse—is bribery and corruption. Corruption is a poison”. Jinnah who colluded with the British to divide India if says so then it definitely indicates the deep-rooted institutional corruption in British India, firmly supported and practiced by the British authority to meet their selfish ends. Corruption is a poison which has sheltered in the minds of those who place themselves above society, community and even country to usurp ill-gotten advantages in life. It is the mistreatment of public resources just for getting some unfair advantages to fulfill the material desires. It is concerned with the unnecessary and wrong use of both power and position by anyone whether in the government or non-government organizations. It adversely affects the growth of the individual as well as the nation and reduces both personal and national income. It is a big reason for inequality that exists within the society we live in. It hampers the growth and development of a nation at all fronts socially, economically and politically.

 

Causes of corruption in India: -

 

a. Money- making nature of people:

 Nowadays, people have greed, so they want more than their needs. Hence, they use to practice corruption as a step for money-making.

 

b. Economic need:

 Insufficient amount of salary or pay scales and the rising cost of the prices of every good is one of the most important causes of the rising corruption. Unemployment and poverty force a person to use such illegal way to earn bread and butter.

 

c. Presence of black money:

 Black money is evil for society, and this corruption generates black money by its very nature. Black money refers to the amount of money held illegally and illegitimately by an individual or by any organization, such as the smuggling of drugs, illegal weapons, bribery, or terrorism.

 

d. Lack or inadequate punishment for corruption:

 In India, though there are many anti-corruption laws, they are considered very weak or inadequate. Thus, the common people face many problems, and manly the weaker sections of people are the victim of corruption.

By Rohit Kumar