Corruption is a very mundane word to us nowadays. The moment we heard the word corruption we got so enraged. Corruption can be defined in many ways or statements theoretically as: ‘’dishonest or illegal behaviour of a person on a higher position in various sectors – including private and government sectors for his/her private gain. It may create disputes, criminal activities in the country.
It is just like a spider web; like when a mosquito and fly get stick in the web and tries to free itself it gets more stuck in it the same is with the persons when you put your one foot you just got stuck more and more inside the web. People have deteriorated their values and morals for their personal greed and needs.
Everyone has always thought for a corruption-free India, our older generations and even the elders one also but by looking in today’s scenario this is just merely a dream for everyone.
Essay on Corruption for Students
Corruption has corroded trust in people, weakened our own country’s democracy and image, and is also responsible for the halting in our country’s economy.
It includes giving or accepting bribes from others, inappropriate gifts, double-dealing, under-the-table transactions, manipulating elections, diverting funds, laundering money, and defrauding banks and investors. It is not confined to only India, but many developed and developing countries – Denmark, England, New Zealand, Bhutan, Singapore, Kuwait, United States etc is engulfed by this corruption bug.
To measure the corruption level in a public sector there is a method to measure it called a Corruption Perception Index (CPI). This method is published by Berlin-based Transparency International since 1995. Recently, the study showed that India ranks 86th on the list in the year 2020.
In this essay on corruption, you will find the various definition and scales, methods, causes, effects and preventions also an example for the same. This essay will help you to get the deep-rooted knowledge on the same.
Different Scales Of Corruption In India
- Petty Corruption: Petty corruption occurs at a small scale when public officials met the public. Example- Police Inspector, Health officials and much other government, private sectors.
- Grand Corruption: Grand Corruption occurs at a higher level such as at legislative, judicial level etc in the government sector.
- Systemic Corruption: Systemic Corruption occurs due to improper or weak function of an organization.
Top 8 Methods of Corruption in India
The various methods of corruption are as follows:
- Bribe: This is the most common form of corruption. This includes taking money, unusual gifts, property, company shares, sexual favours, entertainment etc.
- Embezzlement, theft and fraud: This includes the illegal access to the funds of someone. While fraud includes various scams.
- Graft: This is something that includes; when the government provides any policies for the benefits of common people but before the righteous use of the money, politicians use the sum of money for their own needs.
- Nepotism: Something from which everyone is aware of and is quite a hot topic in Bollywood. It is not only confined their but also in private and public corporate sectors and many more where a non-deserving person is promoted rather than the suitable one.
- Blackmailing: This can be done for any reason with or without any motive. For example A high – profile person threats someone for not revealing his/her secrets out, a person threatening for bribing money, a police officer threatened to not continue an investigation by their higher officials because of their connections with the high profilers.
- Influence Peddling: This is an illegal practice used with the help of officials at a higher position in government and private sectors for the favours, in return of payment.
- Networking: Networking both in (business and personal) is an effective way of job seekers in the competitive edge in the job market. It involves the forge selection of a candidate because of the fondness or money laundering. Where all the candidates should be given equal opportunities for the selection of his/her job.
- Abuse of Discretion: Abuse of discretion is the misuse of his/her power for their personal gain. For example – A judge may take a bribe for closing the case in favour of criminal or custom authorities may help in passing the banned product through ports in the country.
Causes in India:
The cause of corruption varies from place to place depending on circumstances leading to corruption. But we can conclude to some points that majorly contribute to bribery.
- Accountability: There are rules and regulations that are required for the proper working of the body. To regulate that somebody must be accounted for. But when there is a lack of accountability nobody is bound to answer to anybody these scenarios lead to an act of corruption and bribery.
- Personal Greed: The never-ending human wants and the scarce sources to fulfil them promotes bribery.
- Lack of sense of service: When the person uses service for their selfish interest instead of doing service for the greater good of the people.
- Low-income: Low income and lack of promotions in public service encourage an individual in an act of bribery.
- Lack of courage to denounce: When somebody is fully aware of an act of corruption but stays quiet for his personal benefits or do not have the courage to denounce that act of corruption.
- Low level of education: When people not educated enough to identify such acts which somewhat encourages these corrupt behaviours.
- Lack of inter-govt co-operation: Sometimes corruption arises because there is a lack of cooperation between inter-state government and some people sees this as an opportunity to commence corruption.
- Political instability: also endorse corruption.
Also, corruption arises due to much more than these facts, but these are just a glimpse of them.
Impacts in India:
The impact of corruption is not limited to that individual endorsing corruption but reaches far beyond. It hinders the development of the economy. It results in an increase in poverty. People are not able to get the benefits that they are bound to get and much more. Here are some major impacts of corruption.
- Loss of finance.
- Increase poverty.
- Increase the uneven distribution of income.
- Inflation in the economy.
- Generates economic instability.
- Increase government expenditure.
A study unveils that the economy having less uneven distribution of income flourishes in the path of economic development. As we have seen that economic development depends upon the distribution of income among the people of the economy. Uneven distribution of the money is reduced by the redistribution of income. The redistribution of the income is done with government policies.
But corruption is a barricade between the government policy and the people who are to be benefited by these policies. Corruption hinders the implementation of these government policies. As a result, these policies increase government expenditure but the result for these policies are not up to the mark.
Also Read: Air Pollution Essay For Students
Different Sectors Involving Corruption
Corruption is excessively increasing in India and has entrenched in our daily lives. Every nook and corner of the system is corrupted and so the system officials are corrupted while in this too many of them can be an exception for sure who are honest and are not greedy.
Corruption has entered in every part of our lives – public life, administration, politics, education, judiciary, research, etc. Here in the essay, we will discuss some of the sectors involving corruption which are as follows:
- Government/Public sector: The official making the different policies, published funds for the sake of well being of the community is not properly and fairly reached to them but instead the officials in between used them for their personal gain of assets.
- Within the political system: It is the abuse of political power, office, elected officials who after being elected to use their power, funds of the people provided by the higher authorities. They use bribery, extortion, money laundering methods.
For example, Kerala Gold Smuggling Scam – On June 30, 2020, customs officers found a bag carried by a diplomat at the airport from Dubai which turned out to be an illegal consignment of gold. There was allegation on the present Kerala Government that there was the involvement of them.
- Within the police department: Police corruption is a form of misconduct of them with public and within the department to obtain money, promotions or not pursuing cases of higher officials. Sometimes police officers forge evidence, take forceful confessions and not report many rackets running in their area for their personal benefits.
- Judiciary: Many times, judges and lawyers flip the accusations, verdict in favour of the criminals. Eyewitnesses are bribed and threatened sometimes to not give their confession in court.
- Military: Military corruption includes the officials using their position and power for their personal gain. Many cases have been known where military soldiers use their power for illegal supply of combats goods, machinery etc in the local market, private companies or a terrorist group.
- Healthcare: Medical frauds are quite common nowadays. People physically harm themselves to claim their medical insurance because of their financial losses.
Preventive Measures
The government should provide high transparency in every aspect. Should make anti-corruption acts and laws which should be implemented, punishment for the frauds and scammers lawfully and strictly. There are many laws against corruption some of which are enlisted below as follow:
- Right to Information Act: This act came into action in the year 2005 which meant if any individual or an organization file an RTI he/she, or the organization must give the detailed information about the same asked or must face a strict action against it.
- Right to Public Services Law: This law is enacted by 19 states of India and includes that the official is bound to deliver the service to the public in the time-bound or must face action against. This is done to bring transparency and accountability.
Government has made laws under which an individual may undergo imprisonment for corruption are:
- Indian Penal Court,1860
- Prosecution Section of Income Tax,1961
- The Prevention of Corruption Act,1988
- Prevention of Money Laundering Act,2002
- The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act,1988 to prevent Benami transaction.
Real-Life Example of Scam in India
Hawala Scam or also called as Jain Dairies case is a financial and political scandal involves payments allegedly sent by politicians (their black money) through four hawala brokers, namely known as Jain brothers.
In 1991, a militant in Kashmir was arrested which laid to the raid on these Jain brothers, which revealed evidence on a large – scale payments to political parties.
The accused person list was namely – L.K. Advani, V.C. Shukla, P. Shiv Shankar, Sharad Yadav, Balram Jakhar, and Madan Lal Khurana.
The list contained politicians from leading parties of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), and independent MLA’s and MP’s with a varied amount between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 7.5 Crore.
Many of the politicians were acquitted in the year between 1997 to 1998, partly because the hawala records(diaries) were used against them as the prominent evidence.
Conclusion
The most important thing at present is to eradicate corruption from our country truly and whole fully. And by just bragging about the cause is not the solution for eradicating it. So, everyone should take necessary and mandatory actions against corruption. Some of them can be listed as:
- Working of government system should be changed and be more transparent and accountable.
- Direct contact of government and the common person. This will increase transparency among everyone.
- Everyone should behave dutiful and responsible. Should report the wrong actions.
- Keep a check on the assets and source of income by the regulatory action.
Media can play a vital role in corrupt free India as they have the power to express their views. And they can use their power to expose corrupt officials. Media can do sting operations and expose them.
We as citizens, can stop bribing officials and can also try to stop others while doing this. Every small step taken towards this will help in making us a better India because it is a joint effort from both government and common people which will help us and our future generations.