WHY WE INDIANS SAY YES TO CORRUPTION.

According to Corruption Perception Index prepared by Transparency International,  cleanest countries in the world ranking, top five spots are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore and Sweden with rankings of 1 and 3 with CPI score between 92 and 85 from 2012 to 2020. India ranks at 86 with CPI score between 36 and 41 during the above period. No big country with such big economy is behind us.

Corruption is rampant in our country. According to a study conducted by Transparency International in 2005 more than 62% of Indians had at some point or another paid a bribe to a public official to get a job done. Corruption in India is a consequence of the Nexus between bureaucracy, politics and criminals. According to a report by The Hindu 43% members of the Loksabha have criminal background. They are the law makers. According to a survey conducted by a leading MNC in 94 countries, India is among top ten countries in complexity of law in accounting and tax compliance. The prime reason for corruption in India is that since independence we are ruled by political autocracy. We are certainly not a democratic country. Other than registering the vote at the appropriate period, people have no command over the law making. It is left with their representatives only.

May be most of the top level business community in India have multiple accounting system. Even unaccounted money reported to have been deposited in international banks remain to be thoroughly examined. Corruption starts from the last grade employee of the government office. No goverment could so far install a result oriented system to remove this cancerous growth from the economy of our country. It has grown to such a state that if a judge do not grant bail to a criminal the judge would be killed at public place. No one knows how many such honest judges have sacrificed their lives to upkeep the honesty of the judiciary in India.

It cannot be low wages that tempt the government employees to take bribe. As per the cost of living in India except the few last grades,  all remaining are drawing fairly decent wages. However all illegal money received are spent for luxurious life. If the low earners are spending more than their known income, chances of picking them by the sleuths are much low. If at all someone is caught, they know how to get out of the problem with their political connections.

If the government is honestly willing to eradicate corruption, they can make a start at the lower level. Let them recruit about hundred qualified, intelligent and physically fit youth as apprentice for the post of sub inspector of police. They must be given few months appropriate training and send away to nab corrupt officials with adequate evidence. Those who successfully pick maximum number of cases may be recruited as sub inspectors. Maximum secrecy may be ensured in the operation. If any of these apprentices are involved in any corrupt practice,  they must be ensured long jail life.

Let us make a start and allow time to take it up.

K V George