Government Corruption
Corruption is an endemic phenomenon in India. Literature shows that the problem of corruption began as early as the 4th century BC. In a study by Transparency International in 2005, it was observed that 62% of the Indians had had first had experience of corruption in the form of bribery. Indians pay upwards of $5 billion or Rs. 21,000 crore as bribes, with the most corrupt being, as per the common people, the police officials. Global corruption ranking of India is 72 out of 180 countries, where it ties in with China and Brazil. An analysis of Indian politics would reveal that politicians holding major posts such as the Railway Ministry, Home Ministry and State government, have had criminal and corruption cases against them, some of them still unresolved. Government corruption in India is not just a problem of the law enforcement but permeates through the social fiber of the society to such an extent that it fails to protect the rights of the citizens. Studies show that, maybe the problem also lies in the part of the citizens who hardly complain. The people of the country are so immune to corruption that of the 80% who paid bribes, only 20% bothered to report it. This indicates that the public needs to know about the dangers of fueling such a practice.
One of the reasons for rampant corruption in Indian government is that the parties involved in the corruption have incentives to keep it hidden and that corruption is thought to keep the bureaucrats, governments and the politicians efficient in the hopes of receiving incentives in the form of bribes. Literature suggests that the regulatory complexity of the Indian government, makes it a tedious place to get things done quickly. Unlike developed nations who have robust frameworks to prevent bribery and underdeveloped nations who have nothing to bribe, lower middle income countries such as India have an economic framework that favors corruption. Another reason for corruption is the inability of the government to implement and enforce anti-corruption framework to punish lawbreakers since the departments are inadequately staffed, overburdened, and have very poor infrastructure.
The Central Vigilance Commission of India as devised a three- pronged approach to the corruption problem. This includes simplifying the procedures and rules, using the internet to promote anti-corruption strategies and delivering appropriate punishment. E-governance and technology are thought to be some of the reforming steps that would promote transparency and avoid the circumstances of corruption. However, much more is obviously needed.
K. Rao