Corruption in India

Corruption is an old phenomenon in India. It has been predominant in society since early times. History reveals that it existed even in the Mauryan period. Great scholar Kautilya mentioned different types of corruption existing in his contemporary society. Corruption existed even during the period of Sultans and Mughal Emperors. It reached its new height when the East India Company took the control of India. Indians have become so accustomed to corruption that one can hardly imagine public life without it.

Corruption is the display of dishonesty and illegal behaviour. It exists deeply among people in authority. It involves the misrepresentation of ethics, truthfulness, character and responsibility out of personal and greedy motives. Bribery without any regard to honour, right and justice prevails in society. In other words, unnecessary or too much favour for anyone for some monetary or other gains is corruption.

Corruption also involves depriving the genuinely deserving people from their basic rights or privileges through corrupt practice. Withdrawing or neglecting from one’s duty is also a type of corruption. Moreover, robberies, dishonesty, mistreatment, wastage of public property, malpractices, frauds and scandals are various displays of corruption.

Corruption is not limited only to India. It is also witnessed in other developing as well as developed countries of the world. It has spread its limbs in business administration, politics, bureaucracy and various other services. In fact, there are hardly any sectors, which can be characterised for not being infected with the evils of corruption. Thus, corruption is widespread in every segment and every section of society. Almost nobody can be considered free from corruption.

To get rid of corruption from society, we need to make a wide-ranging code of conduct for officials, governments and administrators. Such code should be strictly imposed. Judiciary system should be given more independence towards the cases of corruption. Special Courts should be set-up to take up such issues. Immediate trial should be promoted. Law and order machinery should be allowed to work without political pressure. Non-governmental Organizations, electronic and print media should step forward to create awareness against corruption in society and educate people to fight this vice. Only then, we would be able to save our system from being collapsed.