Eradicate Corruption Build a New India Essay
Eradicate Corruption Build a New India Essay is an important topic for competitive examinations like UPSC, SSC, State PSCs. TextBooq is presenting an Essay on Corruption from an analytical point of view to build a complete knowledge on that topic. We will also include Corruption Essay in 500 words in English PDF at the end of the article.
Let’s learn Corruption In India Essay
Corruption has exacerbated the existing flaws of the system or the system has amplified the corruption, either way, it is capable to transcend the actual situation of its citizens who are gasping with the prolonged socio-economic disparity which has been coupled with never-ending scope of corruption with wrong government policies one after another. The basic principle of corruption is against the concept of ‘inclusive growth’. Corruption is always practiced by a few opportunistic individuals, but its petrifying impact is felt at every corner of society through the administrative and political web. Corruption unstabilizes inclusive economic prosperity, infrastructural development, and hence overall advancement. There must be a collective outcry for integrity with transparency to fight against corruption.
“Corruption is a cancer, a cancer that eats away at a citizen’s faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity.”
-Joe Biden, President of USA
What is Corruption?
The World Bank has defined ‘corruption’ as “a form of dishonesty or criminal offense undertaken by a person or organization entrusted with a position of authority, to acquire illicit benefit or abuse power for one’s private gain.” Corruption is the slow form of crime that destroys all these stands of infrastructure. Corruption and crime are interconnected. Where there is corruption, there is a chance of committing the crime as well.
Corruption in the governance of a nation has the most harmful effects on its citizens and overall the nation, the society, national development, national security. Corruption has many levels based on its severity: Petty Corruption, Grand Corruption, and Systemic Corruption.
What is Corruption in Simple Words
Corruption is the governance plus monopoly which operates without transparency.
The Genesis of ‘Corruption’ in the context of Ancient India
The phrase ‘Corruption’ and its radiance are found in the history of the Indian territory. Renowned economist and intelligent minister in the Kingdom of Chandragupta Maurya, Kautilya had mentioned it in his book “Arthashastra”. He stated that humans are fickle-minded and are manipulated by corrupt means to gain something easily. Kautilya put some serious concerns about corruption. He described corruption as a fish drinking water and moving underwater, which is virtually impossible to detect.
What Kautilya said 2,000 years ago is true in today’s context. But, now corruption has spread in a vast region rooted deeply.
Types of Corruption
Corruption can be classified into coercive corruption and collusive corruption.
- Coercive corruption is the way to force citizens to pay a bribe or something valuable to avail themselves the governmental service.
- Collusive corruption is the form of corruption where both the citizen and government’s service person encourages corruption. But, it costs the social manner and the society.
- Based on these forms, corruption can also be classified based on the fields of occurrences of corruption such as political corruption, administrative corruption, etc.
Corruption may take place in many forms like bribe, embezzlement, extortion and blackmailing, influence peddling, favoritism/nepotism, abuse of discretion, etc.
What are the Causes of Corruption
- Lack of Unity and integrity among the citizen
- Lack of Awareness on the Fundamental Rights among the citizen
- Misuse of Independent detective agency
- Misuse of Judiciary
- Lack of Effective Leadership in India
- Socio-Economic disparity
- Poverty and Hunger
- Poor Educational and Health Infrastructure
- Overpopulation
- The hidden covenant between political parties and Industrialists.
- Over tolerance of People in India
Effects of Corruption
- Rise in Unemployment
- Low GDP
- Rise in Hunger and poverty
- Fall in the growth of Indian Economy
- Brain Drain is the immediate Consequence, as India loses its ‘group of intelligentsia’
- Economic disparity is amplified
- Psychological And Social Disorder
- Minorities and backward communities are the worst sufferers
- Social crimes are increased
- Standard of Living is downgraded
- Rise of Black Money, Terrorism
- Justice is denied
Corruption in India
Renowned Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj, advocated ’Swaraj’ as the “self-governance” or “democracy“. Mahatma Gandhi had also envisioned ‘Purna Swaraj’ to address the issue of corruption in the Government with suggestions to increase transparency in the governance and eradicate corruption.
In the post-independence period, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to eradicate the western influence in the governance. So, he nodded to the socialist approach, especially in the economy of the nation. As a result, excessive regulations, a complex tax system, low salary structure for government employees, opaque bureaucracy, monopoly structure of governance, etc sowed the seed of corruption.
The roots of corruption are so deeply buried that it forced every aspect of poverty to increase. A study in 2003 has shown that only 15% of anti-poverty funds have reached poor people. But, the darkness of corruption does not stop here. A report by Berlin-based Transparency International in 2005 stated that around 62% of Indians had to present a bribe to a public official to get a service done. India’s rank has slipped to 86th among 180 countries in Corruption Perception Index (CPI), 2020 released by Transparency International.
Steps taken by the Government to Prevent Corruption
- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was set up by the ministry of Home Affairs in 1963 on the recommendation of Santhanam Committee.
- In 1964, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had been instituted. CVC implemented the Prevention of Corruption Act in the same year to prevent corruption focusing on high officials.
- The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 had been enacted by the Parliament of India to combat corruption in government agencies and public sector businesses. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 has been amended in 2018 to bring fundamental change in combating corruption.
- But, the flaws continued, which had resulted in severe debt and nearly bankruptcy to India in 1992.
- In 2002, the Freedom of Information Act had been implemented, which was amended later as the Right to Information Act in 2005 with a web portal www.rtionline.gov.in.
- Jan Lokpal Movement: In 2011, Kisan Baburao Hazare started a hunger strike against corruption, which was spread throughout the whole nation. This movement is known as the Jan Lokpal movement, which made him famous as Anna Hazare. As a result, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (Citizen’s Ombudsman Bill) was passed in 2013.
The Lokpal is an anti-corruption body. It consists of nine members including a Chairperson, four judicial members who have been former Chief Justices of different High Courts and four non-judicial members who have been from Central Services. Lokayuktas are state-level anti-corruption ombudsman. The authorities like Lokpal and Lokayukta were recommended by the Administrative Reforms Commission (1966–70) for the redressal of citizen’s grievance.
- In 2019, the Government of India has been committed to “Zero Tolerance against Corruption” and taken various measures to combat corruption and improve the probity and accountability of all Government institutions such as the implementation of e-tendering in public procurements, the Direct Benefit Transfer initiative (2013), the introduction of e-Governance, e-Marketplace, etc under the National e-Governance Action Plan (NeGP), sanctioned in the year of 2006.
Existing Legal Framework to fight corruption in India
- Public Servants (Enquiries) Act, 1850
- Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Special Police Establishment, 1941
- Delhi Police Establishment Act, 1946
- Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
- Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (against political leaders and eminent public men)
- All-India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968
- Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964
- Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966
- Vigilance organisations in ministries. departments, attached and subordinate offices and public undertakings, 1963
- Central Bureau of Investigation, 1963
- Central Vigilance Commission, 1964
- StateVigilance Commissions, 1964
- Anti corruption bureaus in states
- Lokpal (Ombudsman) at the Centre
- Lokayukta (Ombudsman) in states
- Divisional Vigilance Board
- District Vigilance Officer
- National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
- National Commission for SCs
- National Commission for STs
- Supreme Court and High Courts in states
- Administrative Tribunals (quasi-judicial bodies)
- Directorate of Public Grievances in the Cabinet Secretariat, 1988
Conclusion
Corruption invariably endangers the morals of the entire nation. The nation can rebuild itself once it gets rid of the corrupt system. Building a new India by eradicating corruption looks almost impossible as the malignancy has spread too deep. We, the people should be more conscious and stop being over tolerant. We need to force the system to eliminate people’s socio-economic disparity as the imbalance is the perfect breeding foundation for corruption in society. We must focus on teaching people fundamental values from the very beginning to recreate our country. Building a new India should be our immediate and primary national objective. The policy makers must come forward in the expansion of bureaucracy and the multiplication of administrative process to achieve this national objective.
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