CORRUPTION IN INDIA

What is Corruption? The word corruption comes from the Latin word “corrumpo” which literally means to decompose, or to disintegrate, to loose value, to become putrid and useless. The Advanced Oxford Dictionary defines corruption as ‘an act of dishonesty or an illegal behaviour aimed at using public office for one’s private gain’.

Introduction Corruption is a global problem and no country of the world is totally free of its menacing grip. It is the level of its prevalence on the one hand and the honest, committed readiness of the people in eradicating it on the other hand, that differentiates one country from another in the scale of corruption perception index. This prevalence of corruption betrays a latent decay in our ethical values and orientation. The effects of this pervasive corruption stare mockingly at our faces. We see them in the bad state of our roads, hospitals, school systems, poor infrastructures, increasing crime wave, looting of the government treasury etc

Though minor differences exist as to what constitutes corrupt practices or the extent of repugnancy of corrupt practices among different nations, there is a universal agreement to the fact that corruption itself is an anti- social behaviour that portends danger to the cohesive fabric that holds a society together and to the integral growth and development of any society.

Graphical analysis

Petty Corruption Petty corruption usually refers to low-level, small-scale corrupt practices. This includes grease money for example, paying customs officials a small bribe to get goods cleared quicker. It also includes extortion, for example, paying police officers to avoid fines or imprisonment.

Grand Corruption Grand corruption impacts a country overall by taking large sums of money away from the public purse. Grand corruption cases are often controversial, complex and high profile. Because of their politically sensitive nature, the investigation and prosecution of such cases require considerable resources and careful planning.

Police Corruption Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, and/or career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest. One common form of police corruption is soliciting and/or accepting bribes in exchange for not reporting organized drug or other illegal activities.

Systematic Corruption Systemic corruption or endemic corruption is corruption which is primarily due to a weaknesses of an organisation or process. It can be contrasted with individual officials or agents who act corruptly within the system. Factors which encourage systemic corruption include conflicting incentives, discretionary powers; monopolistic powers; lack of transparency; low pay etc.

Political Corruption Political corruption is the abuse of public power, office, or resources by elected government officials for personal gain, e.g. by extortion, soliciting or offering bribes. It can also take the form of office holders maintaining themselves in office by purchasing votes by enacting laws which use taxpayer money.

Statistics Political, bureaucratic, corporate and individual corruption in India are major concerns. In 2011 India was ranked 95th out of 178 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. On March 31, 2010 the Controller and Auditor General of India said that unutilised committed external assistance was of the order of Rs.1,05,339 crores.

It is estimated that more than trillion dollars are stashed away in foreign havens, while 80% of Indians earn less than 2$ per day and every second child is malnourished. It seems as if India is a rich country filled with poor people The recent scams involving unimaginably big amounts of money, such as the 2G spectrum scam, coal gate scam are well known.

Black Money Black money refers to money removed from the official economy (via corruption, bribery, tax evasion, etc.) and stored outside of the country. According to a 2010 The Hindu article, unofficial estimates indicate that Indians had over US$1456 billion in black money stored in Swiss banks. While some news reports claimed that data provided by the Swiss Banking Association Report (2006) showed India has more black money than the rest of the world combined.

Anti Corruption HOW TO STOP IT ??

RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT The Right to Information Act (2005) and equivalent acts in the states, that require government officials to furnish information requested by citizens within a short period of 10 days or face punitive action. It was the use of The RTI that exposed the 2G spectrum. .

A variety of organizations have been created in India to actively fight against corrupt government and business practices. 5th Pillar is most known for the creation of the zero rupee note , a valueless note designed to be given to corrupt officials when they request bribes. ACB (Anti Corruption Bureau) is already established but hasn’t been effective in controlling the rampant corruption.

Association for Social Transparency, Rights and Action (ASTRA) is an NGO focused on grass-roots work to fight corruption in Karnataka

India Against Corruption is a movement created by citizens from a variety of professions and statuses to work against corruption in India. It is currently headed by Anna Hazare.

Corruption and the individual Man is the origin of every moral action whether good or bad. One can protect himself from corruption by the formation of good conscience, a conscience that warns you ahead of time, and condemns or praises the individual depending on whether his actions are good or bad.

CONCLUSION Ethical standards should be insisted upon in every sector and aspect of the people’s lives and those making efforts should be singled out and rewarded, especially those who have the public responsibility entrusted to them. To win the war on corruption, adherence to ethical standards in decision-making must be the foundation of the nation’s policies. Continued pressure on the government to make and implement strong and effective laws against corruption. But first, we should stop promoting corruption at the grass root level

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