Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
POSITIONS OF COUNTRY IN CORRUPTION
NEWZELAND is 9.4 out of 10 and occupies 1st place in corruption.
DENMARK is 9.3 and occupies 2nd place in corruption.
PAKISTAN occupies 140th place in corruption.
CHINA occupies 73rd place in corruption.
INDIA occupies 83rd place in corruption.
For more details open: forbes.com WHAT IS CORRUPTION ?
CORRUPTION undermines everything the law enforcement community works towards . It empoverishes whole communities and threatens the safely and security of the many for the benefits of very few INTERPOL secretary general RONALD K.NOBLE !!! CORRUPTION is phenomenon supported by different historical and socio-economic conditions in each country. It exists at all levels of society .Corruption now often trancends national boundaries.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
TO BE CHANGED
we cannot change the people who are being corrupted in these days.Our mother india is in a savage position as she got a disease called corruption.It's our duty a sons of land to save her from ultimate death.We must wage war against corruption.Students who are country's future must be made aware of present situations and they must be properly moulded, so that atleast our mother would recover from this disease for some extent.Let's raise our strength's against this devil.So, i hope you all as responsible indians would help me in this war.
THANK YOU!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
ANTI CORRUPTION MEASURES
Anti-Corruption Measures
ONE MORE PEACEFUL CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
It Is Amply Proved That Corruption Is Institutionalised In All Arenas. Some Political Parties Are In The Habit Of Making Tall Promises Before Elections And After Attaining Power They Are Amassing Wealth In The Name Of Party Fund, Only To Face Future Elections And Also Making Favors To Their Vested Interests. While The Rulers Are Indulging In Corrupt Practices And Means, Their Lower Hierarchy Are Also Following Suit. Acquiring A Multiple Amount Of Money To What They Have Greased The Palm, They, By Their self-centered Policies Are Squeezing, Strangulating, And Plundering The Poor, The Peasantry, The Labor, The Working Class, The Common People, The Masses And The Common Populace.
The Vicious Circle Is Taking Roots And The Poor And The Down Trodden Are Made Helpless. One Person Can Not Contain The Menace. Each And Every Individual Should Think Over It For Doing Away This Hydra-Headed Evil.
WHAT STEPS THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO TAKE ARE:-
1. The Electoral Process Should Be Cleansed. Election Expenditure Of A Nominee Is To Be Cut Down Considerably.
2. Individuals With Corrupt Label Should Be Barred To Contest In Elections.
3. Laws Have To Be Changed So As To Make Corrupt Elements To Come Under Vigorous Punishment.
4. The Practice Of Dowry Should Be Barred Which Is The Root Cause Of All Corrupt Practices.
5. The Donation System In Engineering And Medical Colleges Should Be Banned, As By This System Corruption Is Gaining Ground In all Circles.
6. Emoluments Of Employees Of Various Management Should Be Changed According To Price Index.
7. Educational And Employment Opportunities Have To Be Enhanced And Augmented.
8. Process Of License System Should Be Liberalized.
9. Powers Should Be Decentralized.
10. More Than One Crore Rupees worth Purchasing Orders And Contracts Should Be finalise By A Team Consists Of Bureaucrats, and joint parliamentary committee.
11. All Government Policies Should Be Transparent.
12. Government Should Fix Specific Time Period For Each Government Service And Dealing Of Government Towards The Public.
13. A Permanent Number Code Is To Be Allotted To Every Person. He /She Should Quote The Code For Each And Every Financial Transaction.
14. All Loopholes In The Acts And Laws Of Government Should Be Plugged.
15. Higher tax rate encourages evading payment of taxes thereby abetting corruption, and loop holes in the tax laws. So tax rates should be reduced.
16. The System Of E-Governance Should Be Introduced.
17. Political parties should not accept party fund more than Rs. 1000/- form the citizens, and Rs.10000/- from the institutions and companies. Every year party accounts should be audited by election commission.
18. People’s Representatives Should Submit Their Assets And that of the members of their Family, At The Time Of Nomination. Every Year Accounts Should Be Audited By a Committee Consists Of Special Officers And joint parliamentary committee.
19. Measures For Population Control Should Be Taken In letter And Spirit And Efforts Should Be Taken For The Coming 25 Years Regarding Population Control. It Is To Be Seen That The Population Has To Be Controlled To 2/3 Of Population Of Which We Have Today For The Next 25 Years.
20. Conduct national wide Discussion on the loksatta proposed reforms, conduct a referendum, according to results take steps to amend the Constitution.
WHAT STEPS PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE ARE: -
1. Discourage And Curb Corrupt Practices And Not Fall In Line with Illegal Means To Get A Favor.
2. Getting Work Done In Speedy And Easy Manner, The People Should In No Way Bolster Corruption.
3. It Is To Be Remembered That Proffering Bribe Is Also Crime.
4. If Proper Service Is Being Rejected To You Through Bureaucrats , Take It In Writing The Reasons For Rejection From Them. Submit All Requisite Certificates With In The Stipulated Time.
5. Please Do Not Try To Evade Taxes By Greasing The Palm Of The Corrupt Officials. Take Receipt After Paying The Taxes. The Tax Paid By You Is Used For The Development Of Your Country.
6. Don’t Forget To Take Receipt/Bill For Each Article You Purchase And File The Receipt/Bill.
7. If You Are Asked Bribes From Persons Of Political And Bureaucratic Set-ups, Inform It To The Higher Ups, Or Air It Through Press With Out Any Fear, Don’t forget your fundamental Rights, Use your Rights .
8. Foster Your Wards In A Most Selfless, Moral, And Altruistic Manner.
9. Never Try To Get A Favor From Government Schemes Which Are Unconcerned To You In Any Way.
10. Never Strive To Get Easy Money, It Is An Unbecoming Act.
11. Never Fall Prey To The Corrupt Politicians For Their Money And Wine.
12. Develop Spirituality In Heart To Become A Good Citizen And Bring Mother India Out Of Woods From The Vicious Circle For Good Of The Future Generations.
THE DUTIES OF MEDIA: -
1. It Is Well Known To You That The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword And It Rests Upon You To Protect This Country From This Vicious Circle Yours Is The Powerful Means To Focus These Issues To The Public And You Are the Mirror Image Of People’s Ambition.
2. Encourage Investigative Journalism There By Working For Their Welfare Through People’s Co-Operation.
3. Inspire And Motivate The People By Creating Awareness Among People About The Peaceful Crusade Against Corruption And Make Time Lively.
4. It Is Largely Upon You To Extirpate The Evil Of Corruption Under The Wheels Of Juggernaut.
MESSAGE TO THE CORRUPT SOULS
BESIDES, BRINGING UP BY YOUR MOTHER, YOU, THE CORRUPT , ARE DOING INEXPRESSIBLE HARM TO YOUR MOTHERLAND. YOU ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL THESE EVILS, TERRORISM, ARSON, NARROW AND VARIOUS CENTRIFUGAL FORCES IN THE COUNTRY AND YOU ARE MAKING THE NATION TO A ROCK BOTTOM LEVEL IN MORALS SO BETTER LATE THEN NEVER, TRY TO MAKE YOUR SOULS IMMACULATE AND HELP IN DEVELOPING YOUR MOTHER LAND.
PRAYER
O ! THE ALMIGHTY DRIVE OUT THE CORRUPT STAINED ELEMENTS AND ESCHEW THEIR CORRUPT PRACTICES FORM THEIR SOULS AND DISGORGE THIS ROCK BOTTOM AMORAL FROM THIS LAND. FOR THIS GIVE THE PEOPLE ENOUGH MORALE BOOSTING TO ROOT OUT THESE PRACTICES, AS PROPOUNDED IN THE "BHAGVADGITA" "WHEN EVER THE SOCIETY FORGETS THE DUTIES I WILL TAKE BIRTH TO STAMP OUT THE ADHARMA AND RESTORE DHARMA" LIKE WISE YOU INCARNATE ONCE AGAIN FOR A PERFECT SOCIETY.
MESSAGE TO THE NATION
"THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, THE HONORABLE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, THE HONORABLE GOVERNORS, THE HONORABLE CHIEF MINISTERS OF STATES, THE HONORABLE UNIVERSITY VICE-CHANCELLORS, PROFESSORS, LECTURERS, TEACHERS, SCHOLARS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS, PHILANTHROPISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS WHO ARE HAVING PHENOMENAL POPULARITY, FAME, DRIVE, DYNAMISM AND WHOSE POLICIES ARE PEOPLE-CENTERED AND HUMAN FACED ARE BEING EARNESTLY IMPLORED TO CONSTANTLY ENLIVEN THE PEOPLE FOR ROOTING OUT THIS EVIL OF CORRUPTION BY USING YOUR GOOD OFFICES AND BLAZE A TRAIL FOR A HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND A CORRUPT-FREE SOCIETY"
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Corruption In India: A Billion Dollar Industry
It is a no brainer that Corruption In India is at its rampant best.There is not one section of the society that is spared from it.Corruption in the form of bribery takes the cake and given that it begins at the grass root level makes it even more difficult to monitor and control.The Corruption and Bribery Report published at trak.in earlier , gives a detailed breakdown of the scale of the bribes and the reasons why bribes are given.
The striking though well known findings of the report points out that close to half the bribes are requested by the Government Officials both at the state and national level.The same government personnel who are entrusted with the development of the nation are filling their own pockets.No wonder then the nation’s politicians are the most corrupt lot.
indiancorruption.jpgVishal Sanjay January 16, 2010 at 6:30 pm
The cause of India’s corruption is due to our previous socialist type of economy, but from the time of economic liberalization there has been a steady decline in corruption. So as you see the extensive regulation forced people into giving bribes which spoilt the entire system, so to reduce corruption we’ll need to implement more liberalization strategies. Kerala is the least corrupt state because it gives its citizens absolute power and freedom, not only now but from the time of independence.
The small bribes taken by police officers and small officials isn’t a big issue, its impossible to stop that and its of no use even if we do, all we have to stop now is the high level corruption.
Now, I don’t see anything wrong in the high spending during elections Arun, this cannot be called as money which comes from bribes, most politicians use donations from the public and small businessmen. Currently we’re having a stable, able and honest government in the center, so we can just watch the change coming.
Reply
2 Vishal Sanjay January 16, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Apologies for the mistake, it isn’t Arun its Ankit.
Reply
3 Vikrant January 17, 2010 at 1:12 am
The worst repercussion of corruption is that it negates meritocracy altogether. High recognition and encouragement of merits is the cornerstone for the progress of any society. It’s sad we have created a breeding ground which is taking our country ever further down.
Reply
4 Ankit January 17, 2010 at 1:16 am
Second that completely Vikrant!!! Corruption causes more then the monetary losses.As mentioned in the post, Favourtism is an evil.Kills merit like nothing else does.More so, killing meritocracy at those levels of national/state importance means that the nation’s growth stalls too!!
We created a breeding ground to an extent since we are the ones electing the government.But the sad part is the choices aren’t plenty.One is more evil than the other.Education i think has to take centre stage as a benchmark while selecting our leaders, but that again is a long shot
Reply
5 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 6:43 am
Ankit
Maybe some of it is for us to blame too.
We always never ask questions, never put our concerns in and this is even when we do it.
The example being fine for traffic violations Rs 500 for speeding or 50 for the officer?
That is a no brainer !!!!!
How about we stop spending on the elections pay our public servants a decent salary and then see the effect????
Also getting a Public servant job is not as easy as we think after you pass the exams on merit we still have to bribe and claw our way to get that job hence it is obvious the person who got the job is going to recover that investment back.
A simple solution could be government programs saying all the elections stuff information cold be shown be a Media Channel (Doordarshan ) which would include atleast the debates and the ideology the goverment or the party is following.
Thanks
Reply
6 Ankit January 17, 2010 at 11:03 am
Agrfee with u Sahil!! As i mentioned before, we are equally responsible for the situation.At smaller levels, we tend to get away by bribing.
Infact, Arun has a recent incident where he chose to pay the fine legally and did not resort to bribe !! May be that is the kind of citizenship that required .
Getting a public service job is difficult cos the places are filled on Bhai-BHatijawad as it is known :-) So, it becomes a capitalist job
The media can play an active role by creating more awareness and exposing the government underpinnings,, but it is a huge ask from the media houses who themselves need govt support to sustain
Reply
7 Vikrant January 17, 2010 at 6:59 am
Absolutely Ankit. Recent killing of the RTI activist Satish Shetty in pune (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article80222.ece) is a strong signal that the corrupt and powerful are calling the shots in this country.
I believe the solution should be grass root level. It cannot be top down cleansing which is what we all have false hope of.
Great revolutions have started from the common people. Education and awareness of the people can bring about the change. By people I count all the 1.2 billion Indian living across the country.
Reply
8 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 11:35 am
Ankit and Vikrant
I want to ask is there a solution for a situation like this??? how do we implement it.
I can write about it and tell people but that doesn’t change things. I tried to get my driving License in Delhi for driving renewed. Not only was my application taken and accepted the officer he clearly stated that i will have to come back after 1 week to check on it. The application process written in the laws entrance said it is supposed to take a week to do this. When I told my dad about this he shouted at me to get it done through a agent. The very same day I was Rs 500 lighter with my new license in my hand. And guess what for Rs 40 My dad made me 2 copies of it
What do i do??? just not think of it. The people have adjusted to it because thats what we do. I would be lying if i say i wont use the agent the next time because it is just more easier to do so. how do you tackle that ??
Reply
9 Ankit January 17, 2010 at 11:39 am
Sahil, the problem you faced is exactly what is causing all the problem.We have been forced to accept that bribing is the norm to get work done.
I wouldnt say that ur dad did wrong because he understands it will be near impossible to get it done otherwise.However, we will have to stand up and decide not to bribe.I got my license without any agent, it took uncountable visits to the office and more than 3 months to get it.So, yes there are issues in going against the norm, but imagine if each individual decides not to bribe, the whole problem can be solved in due course of time
Reply
10 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Ankit
Not only I appreciate the whole you choosing the right way but i commend you for it.
The problem here is not That we choose to bribe or not. You took 3 months of your time for a procedure which is legally supposed to take you 1 day. This isn’t impossible as the agent is miraculously able to do it. So what do we do????
We make the Agents part of the system!!!! hell we take out a Tatkal Scheme such as in passports Where you can get your driving license renewed in 1 day for Rs 500. Employ the agent and give him a salary, I dont care. At least the government would not have to loose on that more, it is already lost. The procedure finances itself. Also please getting rid of the person who is sitting at the counter not doing his/ her job with probably a blacklist certificate for not being able to get hired in by government organizations also a huge fine. !!!!
Reply
11 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 11:36 am
It didnt take a week but a day in my earlier comment
Reply
12 Madhav Shivpuri January 18, 2010 at 7:02 am
As some people have commented, refusing to pay bribe can only be part of the solution. But can you tell to the father who wants his son to get an MBBS or MBA seat by paying donation to the College? Can the admission be delayed by a few weeks/ months or years because the father will not pay the bribe? As the seats in the college fill up from other ‘willing’ students, the prices will go up and not down.
We all can think of hundreds of situation where one does it out of necessity and not necessarily out of convenience or wanting to take short cuts. It could be to ‘smooth out’ the issue rather than anger the official/ or party concerned.
I wonder what Management Guru C.K.Prahalad or Economist Amartya Sen would suggest as the possible solution to this problem.
Reply
13 Sahil January 18, 2010 at 8:24 am
Madhav Ji,
As a student who is pursuing his degree in BBA, I can suggest that we need to increase the number of government colleges where MBBS and MBA can be pursued by the students because this isnt available the students have to compete not at 90% but at 96.5%.
The student who does his due diligence and does get a 85% is not asked about!!!! then the parents still getting their sons/daughters to do better get them admission through Bribing. 85 % seriously isn’t what i would expect to be a bad number for an excellent student. Also most of our education system focuses on numbers. Courses like Real estate, Politics, art history, agriculture development and urban planning are still not existing. everybody want their son/ daughter to do MBBS or MBA nothing else. More options and more colleges is the key to this problem. This completely my opinion and if you think of something else please share.
Reply
14 Madhav Shivpuri January 18, 2010 at 8:47 am
Sahil – Agree with you about supply pressure. I was just giving one example where bribing was out of need and not just taking a short cut to a goal or curry favours. If we stay on the education example, if the student has got 40-45% results and wants an MBA, I don’t have a view whether the parents should make donations or not, but the very fact that the college admission is controlled by people and there is a lack of transparency leads to management or some people taking advantage of it.
If there is an automated processes for college admission then if the student has secured not x% but is in top 5000 in the eligible candidates and he has choices 1,2,3 for the course (MBA, MCom, etc) and he also has choices of a,b,c,d for college names (IITB, BITS Pilani,…) then an automatching system, based on the results of the student, could assign the college and course and there would not be for human intervention and hence bribing. If the student has change of heart about what he wants to study or choice of college there can be another process to care of it, or pass the seat to the next eligible candidate. I hope that what Educomp, IGNOU etc are trying to increase schools and colleges, and also online learning solutions, should address some part of the education problem.
However, with respect to the overall subject of corruption there needs to be more comprehensive solution depending on the industry, process etc.
Reply
15 Kalpak Gadre January 18, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Recently I had gone to get a new license at suburbs in Mumbai. I was charged 40 Rs fee and handed a receipt of 24.60 Rs. When asked for why I was given receipt for only 24.60 Rs, I was told the breakup as 24.60 Rs which I believe is the actual charge. Additional 5 Rs for the tech guys who take the pictures and update the database and 10 Rs as EXTRA.
This shows how openly people are bribing in our country and we don’t even notice it or protest it.
With about 500 people paying 10 Rs extra every day, its turnover of 1.5 Lakhs a month. With so many people involved in it, I wonder how much each individual even makes from it. I feel pity that people are willing to ask for bribe for even such a small amount. I would have happily paid 100 Rs as charge if it was official. If there is room for increasing the charge and government to make more money, firstly government is loosing on a opportunity to make more money. Secondly, people are already paying the same amount anyway.
What can I do as a citizen here? I thought about reporting it to a news paper but then thought maybe I should first report it to local RTO head? But I have no doubts that he is already aware about it. Also, after disclosing this, I may not even get a license ever? Or ultimately would need to bribe a lot more than anyone else does to finally get it?
Is there any official entity which maintains anonymity and where we can report such incidences? Even after googling where I could report this, I did not find any official entity to which you can report corruption?
Reply
16 Story Spice January 19, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Elections are indispensable in any democratic set up. We need more transparency in processes inlcuding entire financial transactions from/to/with in country.
Time up for a change in currency system !!! If we stop printing currency and move to digital currency, the piled up billions worth black & fake currency can be wiped off and an economical cleansing is possible. What do you think?
Reply
17 Joseph August 19, 2010 at 5:08 pm
I guess we the people as well as the process are the issues. From our end:
1) We see the opportunity cost (In the case of getting a driving license – if I have to take a day off then I will loose more than 500, so I’m okay to pay it as bribe). The same capitalist mind is causing the trouble
2) We don’t ask questions/or stand up. We are either afraid because we have heard horrible stories of those who stood up or asked questions
3) We don’t vote. We do not utilize the vehicle given to us but we complain all over the web
4) We don’t get involved in social activities that will bring awareness. We always think it is someone else’s problem
(of course there will be exception to this list; hope all of us are in the exception)
From the process side:
1) It sides with the culprit rather than the victim
2) The law breakers are the law makers. So they will not bite the hand that feeds them!
CEO of FabIndia has written a fabulous book called ‘Making India Work’. Even if you don’t agree to all his proposals, you will come to know of the issues as well as some of the cures. I wrote a review here: http://goo.gl/fb/MAnGN
However, it it was only for the petty money minded officials filling their own pockets, the enormity of the bribery might be restricted to a certain level.What if corruption takes the shape of a billion dollar behemoth.According to Management Guru C.K.Prahalad , the cost of corruption to the country might as well exceed Rs. 250,000 crores.
The total spending for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections is pegged at a whopping Rs. 10,000 crore.The breakup of this spending throws up some interesting insights too.
* Rs 1,300 crore (Rs 13 billion) by the Election Commission
* Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) by the Centre and state governments
* Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion) were spent by political parties and individual candidates
8000 crore spent by political parties and individual candidates ? Where do they get hold of this kind of money to spend. Again, it comes as a no brainer that it is hugely attributed to the Private Funding that political parties attract from big pocket industrialists.The reasons why private spending of this scale happens again is rather simple Favourtism.It is a well known fact that government support is crucial for industries small and large.One favourable swing in a huge tender or a favourable policy, and all the benefits can be reaped.
C.K.Prahalad fitting compares politicians with Venture Capitalists :-)
Given the risky nature of the investments in elections, politicians as venture capitalists, we can assume, will not settle for less than a 10-fold return.
More than spending by individuals and political parties, what i fail to understand is , Why is a 10,000 crore rupee spend needed for carrying out Elections.There can be infrastructure and operational costs, but they can never amount to such alarming numbers.
Now, when the government is well aware of crores of amount spent on election campaigns and product like advertisements with politicians selling themselves door to door, why cant regulations be implemented to stop all this waste of money.Why cant the regulatory bodies impose a maximum cap on the amount spent on election campaigns failing which the political party is banned to contest.However, accountability is something that leaves a lot for asking and barring which none of the measures to put a stop to corruption can reap rewards.
It is embarrassing that billions of dollars are being spent on electing leaders who do nothing more than succumbing to taking bribes after getting elected.
The gory facts are for everyone to see but then a solution as usual is not in sight. Can you think of a possible solution to this massive problem? Do share your thoughts.
The striking though well known findings of the report points out that close to half the bribes are requested by the Government Officials both at the state and national level.The same government personnel who are entrusted with the development of the nation are filling their own pockets.No wonder then the nation’s politicians are the most corrupt lot.
indiancorruption.jpgVishal Sanjay January 16, 2010 at 6:30 pm
The cause of India’s corruption is due to our previous socialist type of economy, but from the time of economic liberalization there has been a steady decline in corruption. So as you see the extensive regulation forced people into giving bribes which spoilt the entire system, so to reduce corruption we’ll need to implement more liberalization strategies. Kerala is the least corrupt state because it gives its citizens absolute power and freedom, not only now but from the time of independence.
The small bribes taken by police officers and small officials isn’t a big issue, its impossible to stop that and its of no use even if we do, all we have to stop now is the high level corruption.
Now, I don’t see anything wrong in the high spending during elections Arun, this cannot be called as money which comes from bribes, most politicians use donations from the public and small businessmen. Currently we’re having a stable, able and honest government in the center, so we can just watch the change coming.
Reply
2 Vishal Sanjay January 16, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Apologies for the mistake, it isn’t Arun its Ankit.
Reply
3 Vikrant January 17, 2010 at 1:12 am
The worst repercussion of corruption is that it negates meritocracy altogether. High recognition and encouragement of merits is the cornerstone for the progress of any society. It’s sad we have created a breeding ground which is taking our country ever further down.
Reply
4 Ankit January 17, 2010 at 1:16 am
Second that completely Vikrant!!! Corruption causes more then the monetary losses.As mentioned in the post, Favourtism is an evil.Kills merit like nothing else does.More so, killing meritocracy at those levels of national/state importance means that the nation’s growth stalls too!!
We created a breeding ground to an extent since we are the ones electing the government.But the sad part is the choices aren’t plenty.One is more evil than the other.Education i think has to take centre stage as a benchmark while selecting our leaders, but that again is a long shot
Reply
5 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 6:43 am
Ankit
Maybe some of it is for us to blame too.
We always never ask questions, never put our concerns in and this is even when we do it.
The example being fine for traffic violations Rs 500 for speeding or 50 for the officer?
That is a no brainer !!!!!
How about we stop spending on the elections pay our public servants a decent salary and then see the effect????
Also getting a Public servant job is not as easy as we think after you pass the exams on merit we still have to bribe and claw our way to get that job hence it is obvious the person who got the job is going to recover that investment back.
A simple solution could be government programs saying all the elections stuff information cold be shown be a Media Channel (Doordarshan ) which would include atleast the debates and the ideology the goverment or the party is following.
Thanks
Reply
6 Ankit January 17, 2010 at 11:03 am
Agrfee with u Sahil!! As i mentioned before, we are equally responsible for the situation.At smaller levels, we tend to get away by bribing.
Infact, Arun has a recent incident where he chose to pay the fine legally and did not resort to bribe !! May be that is the kind of citizenship that required .
Getting a public service job is difficult cos the places are filled on Bhai-BHatijawad as it is known :-) So, it becomes a capitalist job
The media can play an active role by creating more awareness and exposing the government underpinnings,, but it is a huge ask from the media houses who themselves need govt support to sustain
Reply
7 Vikrant January 17, 2010 at 6:59 am
Absolutely Ankit. Recent killing of the RTI activist Satish Shetty in pune (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article80222.ece) is a strong signal that the corrupt and powerful are calling the shots in this country.
I believe the solution should be grass root level. It cannot be top down cleansing which is what we all have false hope of.
Great revolutions have started from the common people. Education and awareness of the people can bring about the change. By people I count all the 1.2 billion Indian living across the country.
Reply
8 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 11:35 am
Ankit and Vikrant
I want to ask is there a solution for a situation like this??? how do we implement it.
I can write about it and tell people but that doesn’t change things. I tried to get my driving License in Delhi for driving renewed. Not only was my application taken and accepted the officer he clearly stated that i will have to come back after 1 week to check on it. The application process written in the laws entrance said it is supposed to take a week to do this. When I told my dad about this he shouted at me to get it done through a agent. The very same day I was Rs 500 lighter with my new license in my hand. And guess what for Rs 40 My dad made me 2 copies of it
What do i do??? just not think of it. The people have adjusted to it because thats what we do. I would be lying if i say i wont use the agent the next time because it is just more easier to do so. how do you tackle that ??
Reply
9 Ankit January 17, 2010 at 11:39 am
Sahil, the problem you faced is exactly what is causing all the problem.We have been forced to accept that bribing is the norm to get work done.
I wouldnt say that ur dad did wrong because he understands it will be near impossible to get it done otherwise.However, we will have to stand up and decide not to bribe.I got my license without any agent, it took uncountable visits to the office and more than 3 months to get it.So, yes there are issues in going against the norm, but imagine if each individual decides not to bribe, the whole problem can be solved in due course of time
Reply
10 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Ankit
Not only I appreciate the whole you choosing the right way but i commend you for it.
The problem here is not That we choose to bribe or not. You took 3 months of your time for a procedure which is legally supposed to take you 1 day. This isn’t impossible as the agent is miraculously able to do it. So what do we do????
We make the Agents part of the system!!!! hell we take out a Tatkal Scheme such as in passports Where you can get your driving license renewed in 1 day for Rs 500. Employ the agent and give him a salary, I dont care. At least the government would not have to loose on that more, it is already lost. The procedure finances itself. Also please getting rid of the person who is sitting at the counter not doing his/ her job with probably a blacklist certificate for not being able to get hired in by government organizations also a huge fine. !!!!
Reply
11 Sahil January 17, 2010 at 11:36 am
It didnt take a week but a day in my earlier comment
Reply
12 Madhav Shivpuri January 18, 2010 at 7:02 am
As some people have commented, refusing to pay bribe can only be part of the solution. But can you tell to the father who wants his son to get an MBBS or MBA seat by paying donation to the College? Can the admission be delayed by a few weeks/ months or years because the father will not pay the bribe? As the seats in the college fill up from other ‘willing’ students, the prices will go up and not down.
We all can think of hundreds of situation where one does it out of necessity and not necessarily out of convenience or wanting to take short cuts. It could be to ‘smooth out’ the issue rather than anger the official/ or party concerned.
I wonder what Management Guru C.K.Prahalad or Economist Amartya Sen would suggest as the possible solution to this problem.
Reply
13 Sahil January 18, 2010 at 8:24 am
Madhav Ji,
As a student who is pursuing his degree in BBA, I can suggest that we need to increase the number of government colleges where MBBS and MBA can be pursued by the students because this isnt available the students have to compete not at 90% but at 96.5%.
The student who does his due diligence and does get a 85% is not asked about!!!! then the parents still getting their sons/daughters to do better get them admission through Bribing. 85 % seriously isn’t what i would expect to be a bad number for an excellent student. Also most of our education system focuses on numbers. Courses like Real estate, Politics, art history, agriculture development and urban planning are still not existing. everybody want their son/ daughter to do MBBS or MBA nothing else. More options and more colleges is the key to this problem. This completely my opinion and if you think of something else please share.
Reply
14 Madhav Shivpuri January 18, 2010 at 8:47 am
Sahil – Agree with you about supply pressure. I was just giving one example where bribing was out of need and not just taking a short cut to a goal or curry favours. If we stay on the education example, if the student has got 40-45% results and wants an MBA, I don’t have a view whether the parents should make donations or not, but the very fact that the college admission is controlled by people and there is a lack of transparency leads to management or some people taking advantage of it.
If there is an automated processes for college admission then if the student has secured not x% but is in top 5000 in the eligible candidates and he has choices 1,2,3 for the course (MBA, MCom, etc) and he also has choices of a,b,c,d for college names (IITB, BITS Pilani,…) then an automatching system, based on the results of the student, could assign the college and course and there would not be for human intervention and hence bribing. If the student has change of heart about what he wants to study or choice of college there can be another process to care of it, or pass the seat to the next eligible candidate. I hope that what Educomp, IGNOU etc are trying to increase schools and colleges, and also online learning solutions, should address some part of the education problem.
However, with respect to the overall subject of corruption there needs to be more comprehensive solution depending on the industry, process etc.
Reply
15 Kalpak Gadre January 18, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Recently I had gone to get a new license at suburbs in Mumbai. I was charged 40 Rs fee and handed a receipt of 24.60 Rs. When asked for why I was given receipt for only 24.60 Rs, I was told the breakup as 24.60 Rs which I believe is the actual charge. Additional 5 Rs for the tech guys who take the pictures and update the database and 10 Rs as EXTRA.
This shows how openly people are bribing in our country and we don’t even notice it or protest it.
With about 500 people paying 10 Rs extra every day, its turnover of 1.5 Lakhs a month. With so many people involved in it, I wonder how much each individual even makes from it. I feel pity that people are willing to ask for bribe for even such a small amount. I would have happily paid 100 Rs as charge if it was official. If there is room for increasing the charge and government to make more money, firstly government is loosing on a opportunity to make more money. Secondly, people are already paying the same amount anyway.
What can I do as a citizen here? I thought about reporting it to a news paper but then thought maybe I should first report it to local RTO head? But I have no doubts that he is already aware about it. Also, after disclosing this, I may not even get a license ever? Or ultimately would need to bribe a lot more than anyone else does to finally get it?
Is there any official entity which maintains anonymity and where we can report such incidences? Even after googling where I could report this, I did not find any official entity to which you can report corruption?
Reply
16 Story Spice January 19, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Elections are indispensable in any democratic set up. We need more transparency in processes inlcuding entire financial transactions from/to/with in country.
Time up for a change in currency system !!! If we stop printing currency and move to digital currency, the piled up billions worth black & fake currency can be wiped off and an economical cleansing is possible. What do you think?
Reply
17 Joseph August 19, 2010 at 5:08 pm
I guess we the people as well as the process are the issues. From our end:
1) We see the opportunity cost (In the case of getting a driving license – if I have to take a day off then I will loose more than 500, so I’m okay to pay it as bribe). The same capitalist mind is causing the trouble
2) We don’t ask questions/or stand up. We are either afraid because we have heard horrible stories of those who stood up or asked questions
3) We don’t vote. We do not utilize the vehicle given to us but we complain all over the web
4) We don’t get involved in social activities that will bring awareness. We always think it is someone else’s problem
(of course there will be exception to this list; hope all of us are in the exception)
From the process side:
1) It sides with the culprit rather than the victim
2) The law breakers are the law makers. So they will not bite the hand that feeds them!
CEO of FabIndia has written a fabulous book called ‘Making India Work’. Even if you don’t agree to all his proposals, you will come to know of the issues as well as some of the cures. I wrote a review here: http://goo.gl/fb/MAnGN
However, it it was only for the petty money minded officials filling their own pockets, the enormity of the bribery might be restricted to a certain level.What if corruption takes the shape of a billion dollar behemoth.According to Management Guru C.K.Prahalad , the cost of corruption to the country might as well exceed Rs. 250,000 crores.
The total spending for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections is pegged at a whopping Rs. 10,000 crore.The breakup of this spending throws up some interesting insights too.
* Rs 1,300 crore (Rs 13 billion) by the Election Commission
* Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) by the Centre and state governments
* Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion) were spent by political parties and individual candidates
8000 crore spent by political parties and individual candidates ? Where do they get hold of this kind of money to spend. Again, it comes as a no brainer that it is hugely attributed to the Private Funding that political parties attract from big pocket industrialists.The reasons why private spending of this scale happens again is rather simple Favourtism.It is a well known fact that government support is crucial for industries small and large.One favourable swing in a huge tender or a favourable policy, and all the benefits can be reaped.
C.K.Prahalad fitting compares politicians with Venture Capitalists :-)
Given the risky nature of the investments in elections, politicians as venture capitalists, we can assume, will not settle for less than a 10-fold return.
More than spending by individuals and political parties, what i fail to understand is , Why is a 10,000 crore rupee spend needed for carrying out Elections.There can be infrastructure and operational costs, but they can never amount to such alarming numbers.
Now, when the government is well aware of crores of amount spent on election campaigns and product like advertisements with politicians selling themselves door to door, why cant regulations be implemented to stop all this waste of money.Why cant the regulatory bodies impose a maximum cap on the amount spent on election campaigns failing which the political party is banned to contest.However, accountability is something that leaves a lot for asking and barring which none of the measures to put a stop to corruption can reap rewards.
It is embarrassing that billions of dollars are being spent on electing leaders who do nothing more than succumbing to taking bribes after getting elected.
The gory facts are for everyone to see but then a solution as usual is not in sight. Can you think of a possible solution to this massive problem? Do share your thoughts.
CORRUPTION....! HISTORY
Contents
[hide]
* 1 History
o 1.1 Politics
o 1.2 Bureaucracy
+ 1.2.1 Land and property
+ 1.2.2 Tendering processes and awarding contracts
+ 1.2.3 Medicine
+ 1.2.4 Transport
+ 1.2.5 Income tax
+ 1.2.6 Preferential award of public resources
o 1.3 Judiciary
o 1.4 Armed forces
o 1.5 Police
o 1.6 Religious institutions
* 2 Anti-corruption efforts
o 2.1 Right to information act
o 2.2 Ombudsmen
o 2.3 Computerization
o 2.4 Whistleblowers
o 2.5 Creation of Anti-Corruption lopice and Courts
o 2.6 Private sector initiatives
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 Further reading
* 6 External links
o 6.1 Indian government
[edit] History
The economy of India was under socialist-inspired policies for an entire generation from the 1950s until the 1980s. The economy was subject to extensive regulation, protectionism, and public ownership, leading to pervasive corruption and slow growth.[1][2][3][4] License Raj was often at the core of corruption.
The Vohra Report was submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N.N. Vohra, in October 1993. It studied the problem of the criminalisation of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats in India.
The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians, of all parties, and the protection of government functionaries. It revealed that political leaders had become the leaders of gangs. They were connected to the military. Over the years criminals had been elected to local bodies, State Assemblies and Parliament. The unpublished annexures to the Vohra Report were believed to contain highly explosive material.
According to Jitendra Singh, "in the bad old days, particularly pre-1991, when the License Raj held sway, and by design, all kinds of free market mechanisms were hobbled or stymied, and corruption emerged almost as an illegitimate price mechanism, a shadowy quasi-market, such that scarce resources could still be allocated within the economy, and decisions could get made. [...] These were largely distortions created by the politico-economic regime. While a sea change has occurred in the years following 1991, some of the distorted cultural norms that took hold during the earlier period are slowly being repaired by the sheer forces of competition. The process will be long and slow, however. It will not change overnight."[5] One of the major problems and obstacles to development that many developing countries face is corruption by greedy, power-hungry politicians, which is endemic in certain parts of the world.
[edit] Politics
Main article: Indian political scandals
Criminalization of Indian politics is a problem.[6][7]
In July 2008 The Washington Post reported that nearly a fourth of the 540 Indian Parliament members faced criminal charges, "including human trafficking, immigration rackets, embezzlement, rape and even murder".[8] At state level, things are often worse. In Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2002, candidates with criminal records won the majority of seats.
[edit] Bureaucracy
A 2005 study done by Transparency International (TI) in India found that more than 50% of the people had firsthand experience of paying bribe or peddling influence to get a job done in a public office.[9] Taxes and bribes are common between state borders; Transparency International estimates that truckers pay annually $5 billion in bribes.[10]. A 2009 survey of the leading economies of Asia, revealed Indian bureaucracy to be not just least efficient out of Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Indonesia; further it was also found that working with India's civil servants was a "slow and painful" process.[11].
[edit] Land and property
Officials often steal state property. In Bihar, more than 80% of the subsidized food aid to poor is stolen [5]. In cities and villages throughout India, Mafia Raj consisting of municipal and other government officials, elected politicians, judicial officers, real estate developers and law enforcement officials, acquire, develop and sell land in illegal ways.[12].
[edit] Tendering processes and awarding contracts
Government officials having discretionary powers in awarding contracts engage in preferential treatment for selected bidders, display negligence in quality control processes[citation needed]. Many state-funded construction activities in India, such as road building, are dominated by construction mafias, which are groupings of corrupt public works officials, materials suppliers, politicians and construction contractors.[13] Shoddy construction and material substitution (e.g. mixing sand in cement while submitting expenses for cement) result in roads and highways being dangerous, and sometimes simply washed away when India's heavy monsoon season arrives.[14]
[edit] Medicine
In Government Hospitals, corruption is associated with non availability of medicines (or duplicate medicines), getting admission, consultations with doctors and availing diagnostic services.[9]. There have been cases of diversion of medical supplies from government hospitals and clinics[citation needed] as well as supply and distribution of medicines of inferior quality[citation needed]
[edit] Transport
Officials who oversee transportation regulations, safety norms, traffic violations engage in rent seeking activity. Typically a lenient treatment for an offending driver or vehicle is accompanied by expectation of a bribe[citation needed]. India has multiple jurisdictions for vehicular laws as well as overlapping laws at the central government and state government level which worsens bureaucratic complications. This leads to facilitation payments to accelerate normal government processes[citation needed].
Some airports, such as the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala, are notorious for theft of valuables from bags checked on incoming flights. Such theft is a rude awakening to the state of corruption in Kerala to tourists and expatriates returning from vacations [15]. Corrupt officials and airport employees turn a blind eye to theft of passenger belongings often colluding in the theft.
[edit] Income tax
There have been several cases of collusion of officials of the income tax department of India for a favorable tax treatment in return for bribes [16][17]
[edit] Preferential award of public resources
As detailed earlier, land in areas with short supply is relatively common with government entities awarding public land to private concerns at negligible rates. Other examples include the award of mining leases to private companies without a levy of taxes that is proportionate to the market value of the ore[citation needed].
[edit] Judiciary
Corruption is rampant in the judicial system of India. According to Transparency International, judicial corruption in India is attributable to factors such as "delays in the disposal of cases, shortage of judges and complex procedures, all of which are exacerbated by a preponderance of new laws".[18]
[edit] Armed forces
The Indian Armed Forces have frequently witnessed corruption involving senior armed forces officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. Many officers have been caught for allegedly selling defence stores in the black market in the border districts of Indian states and territories. Recent sukhna land scandal involving four Indian Lieutenant Generals has shaken public faith in the country's massive military at a time when unprecedented sums are being spent on modernising the armed forces. A string of eye-popping fraud cases has damaged the institution in recent years.[19][20][21]
[edit] Police
Despite State prohibitions against torture and custodial misconduct by the police, torture is widespread in police custody, which is a major reason behind deaths in custody.[22][23] The police often torture innocent people until a 'confession' is obtained to save influential and wealthy offenders.[24] G.P. Joshi, the programme coordinator of the Indian branch of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi comments that the main issue at hand concerning police violence is a lack of accountability of the police.[25]
[edit] Religious institutions
In India, the corruption has also crept into religious institutions. Some of the Church of North India are making money by selling Baptism certificates.[26] A group of church leaders and activists has launched a campaign to combat the corruption within churches. The chief economic consequences of corruption are the loss to the economy an unhealthy climate for investment and an increase in the cost of government-subsidised services. The TI India study estimates the monetary value of petty corruption in 11 basic services provided by the government, like education, healthcare, judiciary, police, etc., to be around Rs.21,068 crores. India still ranks in the bottom quartile of developing nations in terms of the ease of doing business, and compared to China and other lower developed Asian nations, the average time taken to secure the clearances for a startup or to invoke bankruptcy is much greater.
[edit] Anti-corruption efforts
[edit] Right to information act
Main article: 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 or face punitive action, computerisation of services and various central and state government acts that established vigilance commissions have considerably reduced corruption or at least have opened up avenues to redress grievances.[9][27] The 2006 report by Transparency International puts India at the 70th place and states that significant improvements were made by India in reducing corruption.[28][29]
[edit] Ombudsmen
The LokAyukta is an anti-government corruption organization in the Indian states [30][31]. These institutions are based on the Ombudsman in Scandinavian countries. An amendment to the Constitution has been proposed to implement the Lokayukta uniformly across Indian States as a three-member body, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or high court chief justice, and comprise of the state vigilance commissioner and a jurist or an eminent administrator as other members [32].
[edit] Computerization
* Bhoomi is a project jointly funded by the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka to digitize the paper land records and create a software mechanism to control changes to the land registry in Karnataka. The project was designed to eliminate the long-standing problem of inefficiency and corruption.
* Introduction of smart cards for vehicle registration and drivers licenses by Karnataka Regional Transport Organization[33].
* Enforcement automation of traffic violations by Bangalore Traffic Police [34].
[edit] Whistleblowers
Whistleblowers play a major role in the fight against corruption. India currently does not have a law to protect whistleblowers, which was highlighted by the assassination of Satyendra Dubey.
[edit] Creation of Anti-Corruption lopice and Courts
The India corruption police worked in bribes. Some have called for the Central Government to create an anti-theft law enforcement agency that investigates and prosecutes corruption at all levels of government, including state and local level. Special courts that are more efficient than the traditional Indian courts with traveling judges and law enforcement agents are being proposed. The proposal has not yet been acted upon by the Indian government. Certain states such as Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Pradesh Anti-corruption bureau) and Karnataka (Lokayukta have similar agencies and courts [35][30]. The creation of a central agency with specialized courts with broad powers, however, is likely to have greater impact in curbing corruption at all levels[opinion][citation needed].
[edit] Private sector initiatives
Several new initiatives have come up in the private sector to raise awareness about Corruption related issues and to build anti-corruption platforms. http://5thpillar.org is one such organization that is promoting the use of Zero Rupee Notes [36] to fight corruption by shaming the officials who ask for bribe. Another popular initiative Jaago Re!One Billion Votes from Tata Tea has now changed its focus from voter registration to fighting corruption [37]. nobribe.org is another platform for corruption free India and advocates the use of direct and regular measurement of corruption to force the hands of the leadership into dealing with corruption related issues[38].
[edit] See also
* Indian political scandals
* Socio-economic issues in India
* License Raj
* Mafia Raj
* Corruption in Mumbai
* Rent seeking
* Lok Ayukta
[edit] References
1. ^ Eugene M. Makar (2007). An American's Guide to Doing Business in India.
2. ^ "Economic survey of India 2007: Policy Brief". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/17/52/39452196.pdf.
3. ^ "The India Report". Astaire Research. http://www.ukibc.com/ukindia2/files/India60.pdf.
4. ^ "India's Rising Growth Potential". Goldman Sachs. 2007. http://www.usindiafriendship.net/viewpoints1/Indias_Rising_Growth_Potential.pdf.
5. ^ a b "Will Growth Slow Corruption In India?". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/15/wipro-tata-corruption-ent-law-cx_kw_0814whartonindia.html.
6. ^ "A special report on India: The democracy tax is rising: Indian politics is becoming ever more labyrinthine". The Economist. December 11, 2008. http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12749771.
7. ^ The criminalisation of Indian democracy (May 2, 2007). "Jo Johnson". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/21d0f5f8-f8c1-11db-a940-000b5df10621.html. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
8. ^ Wax, Emily (2008-07-24). "With Indian Politics, the Bad Gets Worse". Washington Times. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/23/AR2008072303390.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
9. ^ a b c Centre for Media Studies (20/tii/ICS2k5_Vol1.pdf). India Corruption Study 2005: To Improve Governance Volume – I: Key Highlights. Transparency International India.
10. ^ India: Where Shipping Is Shaky. Businessweek
11. ^ Indian bureaucracy ranked worst in Asia: Survey The Times of India, June 3, 2009.
12. ^ K.R. Gupta and J.R. Gupta, Indian Economy, Vol #2, Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2008, ISBN 8126909269. Snippet: ... the land market already stands subverted and an active land mafia has already been created ...
13. ^ "Mulayam Hits Mafia Hard". India Today. 2006-10-16. http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20061016/state-up.html. Retrieved 2008-10-30. Snippet: ... The road sector has always been the main source of income for the mafia. They either ask their men directly to grab the contracts or allow an outsider to take the contract after accepting a hefty commission ... a large number of criminals have been grabbing contracts under the protective umbrella of parties like SP, BSP, BJP, as well as the Congress ... opportunity to refurbish the image of his Government by initiating a crackdown on the mafia-contractor-engineer nexus ...
14. ^ "Killer roads in India and rethinking the death penalty". The Wall Street Journal. liveMint.com. 2008-09-01. http://blogs.livemint.com/blogs/romanticrealist/archive/2008/09/01/killer-roads-in-india-and-rethinking-the-death-penalty.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-30. Snippet: ... this year's rains have destroyed 581 roads in the state with 139 road accidents killing 373 people through 10 August ... they spoke about a road building contractor mafia that pretty much has a lock on many projects for redoing roads--apparently year after year ...
15. ^ "Check-in baggage open to theft (Google cache)". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/30/stories/2009093058370300.htm.
16. ^ "Corruption in Income-Tax: beaten by Babudom". LiveMint. http://www.livemint.com/2007/04/01225456/Corruption-in-IncomeTax-beat.html.
17. ^ "Two Income Tax officials booked for corruption". Indian Express. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/two-income-tax-officials-booked-for-corruption/414293/.
18. ^ Praful Bidwai. "INDIA: Legal System in the Dock". http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37972.
19. ^ http://www.dnaindia.com/india/message-board_is-corruption-widespread-in-the-indian-armed-forces-how-can-it-be-dealt-with_1335253
20. ^ http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1162535&lang=eng_news&cate_img=44.jpg&cate_rss=news_Perspective
21. ^ http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/showthread.php?7280-Corruption-in-Indian-Armed-Forces
22. ^ Torture main reason of death in police custody The Tribune
23. ^ Custodial deaths in West Bengal and India's refusal to ratify the Convention against Torture Asian Human Rights Commission 26 February 2004
24. ^ Custodial deaths and torture in India Asian Legal Resource Centre
25. ^ [1]
26. ^ Are even the Priests taking to corruption?
27. ^ Example of a central government department's implementation of the Right to Information Act.
28. ^ Transparency International Press release
29. ^ Transparency International Press release
30. ^ a b "Karnataka Lokayukta". National Informatics Center. http://lokayukta.kar.nic.in. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
31. ^ "Karnataka Anti-Corruption Laws (Acts)". National Informatics Center. http://lokayukta.kar.nic.in/acts.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
32. ^ "Lokayukta may get constitutional status". Deccan Herald. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/78301/lokayukta-may-get-constitutional-status.html. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
33. ^ "Smart new driving licence issued in Bangalore". Live Mint. http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/25170233/Smart-new-driving-licence-issu.html.
34. ^ "Bangalore Traffic Police". Bangalore Traffic Police. http://www.bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in/.
35. ^ "A.P. Departments > Anti-Corruption Bureau". A.P. Government. http://www.aponline.gov.in/apportal/departments/departments.asp?dep=13&org=83. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
36. ^ "Zero Rupee Note". 5thpillar.org. http://5thpillar.org/~pillar/india/ZRN.
37. ^ "Jaago Re Campaign from Tata Tea". Tata Tea. http://www.jaagore.com/.
38. ^ "nobribe.org". nobribe.org. http://www.nobribe.org.
[edit] Further reading
* Kohli, Suresh (1975). Corruption in India: The Growing Evil. ISBN 0861865804 .
* Dwivedy, Surendranath; Bhargava, G. S. (1967). Political Corruption in India .
* Gupta, K. N. (2001). Corruption in India. Anmol Publications Pvt Ltd. ISBN 8126109734 .
* Halayya, M. (1985). Corruption in India. Affiliated East-West Press .
* Guhan, Sanjivi; Paul, Samuel (1997). Corruption in India: Agenda for Action. Vision Books .
* Vittal, N. (2003). Corruption in India: The Roadblock to National Prosperity. Academic Foundation. ISBN 8171882870 . Excepts
[edit] External links
[edit] Indian government
* CIC - The Central Information Commission is charged with interpreting the Right to Information Act, 2005.
* DoPT - The Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, is charged with being the nodal agency for the Right to Information Act, 2005. It has the powers to make rules regarding appeals, fees, etc.
* Complete text of the Right to Information Act
* Karnataka Information Commission The State Information Commission for Indian State of Karnataka
[hide]
v • d • e
Corruption in Asia
Sovereign
states
Afghanistan · Armenia1 · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma2 · Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus1 · East Timor3 · Egypt4 · Georgia4 · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan4 · North Korea · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia4 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Republic of China5 · Thailand · Turkey4 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen
States with limited
recognition
Abkhazia1 · Nagorno-Karabakh · Northern Cyprus · Palestine · South Ossetia1
Dependencies,
autonomies,
other territories
Aceh · Adjara1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Altai · British Indian Ocean Territory · Buryatia · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Guangxi · Hong Kong · Inner Mongolia · Iraqi Kurdistan · Khakassia · Macau · Nakhchivan · Ningxia · Papua · Sakha Republic · Tibet · Tuva · West Papua · Xinjiang
1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions. 2 Officially known as Myanmar. 3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste. 4 Transcontinental country. 5 Commonly known as Taiwan.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_India"
Categories: Corruption in India
[hide]
* 1 History
o 1.1 Politics
o 1.2 Bureaucracy
+ 1.2.1 Land and property
+ 1.2.2 Tendering processes and awarding contracts
+ 1.2.3 Medicine
+ 1.2.4 Transport
+ 1.2.5 Income tax
+ 1.2.6 Preferential award of public resources
o 1.3 Judiciary
o 1.4 Armed forces
o 1.5 Police
o 1.6 Religious institutions
* 2 Anti-corruption efforts
o 2.1 Right to information act
o 2.2 Ombudsmen
o 2.3 Computerization
o 2.4 Whistleblowers
o 2.5 Creation of Anti-Corruption lopice and Courts
o 2.6 Private sector initiatives
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 Further reading
* 6 External links
o 6.1 Indian government
[edit] History
The economy of India was under socialist-inspired policies for an entire generation from the 1950s until the 1980s. The economy was subject to extensive regulation, protectionism, and public ownership, leading to pervasive corruption and slow growth.[1][2][3][4] License Raj was often at the core of corruption.
The Vohra Report was submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N.N. Vohra, in October 1993. It studied the problem of the criminalisation of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats in India.
The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians, of all parties, and the protection of government functionaries. It revealed that political leaders had become the leaders of gangs. They were connected to the military. Over the years criminals had been elected to local bodies, State Assemblies and Parliament. The unpublished annexures to the Vohra Report were believed to contain highly explosive material.
According to Jitendra Singh, "in the bad old days, particularly pre-1991, when the License Raj held sway, and by design, all kinds of free market mechanisms were hobbled or stymied, and corruption emerged almost as an illegitimate price mechanism, a shadowy quasi-market, such that scarce resources could still be allocated within the economy, and decisions could get made. [...] These were largely distortions created by the politico-economic regime. While a sea change has occurred in the years following 1991, some of the distorted cultural norms that took hold during the earlier period are slowly being repaired by the sheer forces of competition. The process will be long and slow, however. It will not change overnight."[5] One of the major problems and obstacles to development that many developing countries face is corruption by greedy, power-hungry politicians, which is endemic in certain parts of the world.
[edit] Politics
Main article: Indian political scandals
Criminalization of Indian politics is a problem.[6][7]
In July 2008 The Washington Post reported that nearly a fourth of the 540 Indian Parliament members faced criminal charges, "including human trafficking, immigration rackets, embezzlement, rape and even murder".[8] At state level, things are often worse. In Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2002, candidates with criminal records won the majority of seats.
[edit] Bureaucracy
A 2005 study done by Transparency International (TI) in India found that more than 50% of the people had firsthand experience of paying bribe or peddling influence to get a job done in a public office.[9] Taxes and bribes are common between state borders; Transparency International estimates that truckers pay annually $5 billion in bribes.[10]. A 2009 survey of the leading economies of Asia, revealed Indian bureaucracy to be not just least efficient out of Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Indonesia; further it was also found that working with India's civil servants was a "slow and painful" process.[11].
[edit] Land and property
Officials often steal state property. In Bihar, more than 80% of the subsidized food aid to poor is stolen [5]. In cities and villages throughout India, Mafia Raj consisting of municipal and other government officials, elected politicians, judicial officers, real estate developers and law enforcement officials, acquire, develop and sell land in illegal ways.[12].
[edit] Tendering processes and awarding contracts
Government officials having discretionary powers in awarding contracts engage in preferential treatment for selected bidders, display negligence in quality control processes[citation needed]. Many state-funded construction activities in India, such as road building, are dominated by construction mafias, which are groupings of corrupt public works officials, materials suppliers, politicians and construction contractors.[13] Shoddy construction and material substitution (e.g. mixing sand in cement while submitting expenses for cement) result in roads and highways being dangerous, and sometimes simply washed away when India's heavy monsoon season arrives.[14]
[edit] Medicine
In Government Hospitals, corruption is associated with non availability of medicines (or duplicate medicines), getting admission, consultations with doctors and availing diagnostic services.[9]. There have been cases of diversion of medical supplies from government hospitals and clinics[citation needed] as well as supply and distribution of medicines of inferior quality[citation needed]
[edit] Transport
Officials who oversee transportation regulations, safety norms, traffic violations engage in rent seeking activity. Typically a lenient treatment for an offending driver or vehicle is accompanied by expectation of a bribe[citation needed]. India has multiple jurisdictions for vehicular laws as well as overlapping laws at the central government and state government level which worsens bureaucratic complications. This leads to facilitation payments to accelerate normal government processes[citation needed].
Some airports, such as the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala, are notorious for theft of valuables from bags checked on incoming flights. Such theft is a rude awakening to the state of corruption in Kerala to tourists and expatriates returning from vacations [15]. Corrupt officials and airport employees turn a blind eye to theft of passenger belongings often colluding in the theft.
[edit] Income tax
There have been several cases of collusion of officials of the income tax department of India for a favorable tax treatment in return for bribes [16][17]
[edit] Preferential award of public resources
As detailed earlier, land in areas with short supply is relatively common with government entities awarding public land to private concerns at negligible rates. Other examples include the award of mining leases to private companies without a levy of taxes that is proportionate to the market value of the ore[citation needed].
[edit] Judiciary
Corruption is rampant in the judicial system of India. According to Transparency International, judicial corruption in India is attributable to factors such as "delays in the disposal of cases, shortage of judges and complex procedures, all of which are exacerbated by a preponderance of new laws".[18]
[edit] Armed forces
The Indian Armed Forces have frequently witnessed corruption involving senior armed forces officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. Many officers have been caught for allegedly selling defence stores in the black market in the border districts of Indian states and territories. Recent sukhna land scandal involving four Indian Lieutenant Generals has shaken public faith in the country's massive military at a time when unprecedented sums are being spent on modernising the armed forces. A string of eye-popping fraud cases has damaged the institution in recent years.[19][20][21]
[edit] Police
Despite State prohibitions against torture and custodial misconduct by the police, torture is widespread in police custody, which is a major reason behind deaths in custody.[22][23] The police often torture innocent people until a 'confession' is obtained to save influential and wealthy offenders.[24] G.P. Joshi, the programme coordinator of the Indian branch of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi comments that the main issue at hand concerning police violence is a lack of accountability of the police.[25]
[edit] Religious institutions
In India, the corruption has also crept into religious institutions. Some of the Church of North India are making money by selling Baptism certificates.[26] A group of church leaders and activists has launched a campaign to combat the corruption within churches. The chief economic consequences of corruption are the loss to the economy an unhealthy climate for investment and an increase in the cost of government-subsidised services. The TI India study estimates the monetary value of petty corruption in 11 basic services provided by the government, like education, healthcare, judiciary, police, etc., to be around Rs.21,068 crores. India still ranks in the bottom quartile of developing nations in terms of the ease of doing business, and compared to China and other lower developed Asian nations, the average time taken to secure the clearances for a startup or to invoke bankruptcy is much greater.
[edit] Anti-corruption efforts
[edit] Right to information act
Main article: 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 or face punitive action, computerisation of services and various central and state government acts that established vigilance commissions have considerably reduced corruption or at least have opened up avenues to redress grievances.[9][27] The 2006 report by Transparency International puts India at the 70th place and states that significant improvements were made by India in reducing corruption.[28][29]
[edit] Ombudsmen
The LokAyukta is an anti-government corruption organization in the Indian states [30][31]. These institutions are based on the Ombudsman in Scandinavian countries. An amendment to the Constitution has been proposed to implement the Lokayukta uniformly across Indian States as a three-member body, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or high court chief justice, and comprise of the state vigilance commissioner and a jurist or an eminent administrator as other members [32].
[edit] Computerization
* Bhoomi is a project jointly funded by the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka to digitize the paper land records and create a software mechanism to control changes to the land registry in Karnataka. The project was designed to eliminate the long-standing problem of inefficiency and corruption.
* Introduction of smart cards for vehicle registration and drivers licenses by Karnataka Regional Transport Organization[33].
* Enforcement automation of traffic violations by Bangalore Traffic Police [34].
[edit] Whistleblowers
Whistleblowers play a major role in the fight against corruption. India currently does not have a law to protect whistleblowers, which was highlighted by the assassination of Satyendra Dubey.
[edit] Creation of Anti-Corruption lopice and Courts
The India corruption police worked in bribes. Some have called for the Central Government to create an anti-theft law enforcement agency that investigates and prosecutes corruption at all levels of government, including state and local level. Special courts that are more efficient than the traditional Indian courts with traveling judges and law enforcement agents are being proposed. The proposal has not yet been acted upon by the Indian government. Certain states such as Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Pradesh Anti-corruption bureau) and Karnataka (Lokayukta have similar agencies and courts [35][30]. The creation of a central agency with specialized courts with broad powers, however, is likely to have greater impact in curbing corruption at all levels[opinion][citation needed].
[edit] Private sector initiatives
Several new initiatives have come up in the private sector to raise awareness about Corruption related issues and to build anti-corruption platforms. http://5thpillar.org is one such organization that is promoting the use of Zero Rupee Notes [36] to fight corruption by shaming the officials who ask for bribe. Another popular initiative Jaago Re!One Billion Votes from Tata Tea has now changed its focus from voter registration to fighting corruption [37]. nobribe.org is another platform for corruption free India and advocates the use of direct and regular measurement of corruption to force the hands of the leadership into dealing with corruption related issues[38].
[edit] See also
* Indian political scandals
* Socio-economic issues in India
* License Raj
* Mafia Raj
* Corruption in Mumbai
* Rent seeking
* Lok Ayukta
[edit] References
1. ^ Eugene M. Makar (2007). An American's Guide to Doing Business in India.
2. ^ "Economic survey of India 2007: Policy Brief". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/17/52/39452196.pdf.
3. ^ "The India Report". Astaire Research. http://www.ukibc.com/ukindia2/files/India60.pdf.
4. ^ "India's Rising Growth Potential". Goldman Sachs. 2007. http://www.usindiafriendship.net/viewpoints1/Indias_Rising_Growth_Potential.pdf.
5. ^ a b "Will Growth Slow Corruption In India?". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/15/wipro-tata-corruption-ent-law-cx_kw_0814whartonindia.html.
6. ^ "A special report on India: The democracy tax is rising: Indian politics is becoming ever more labyrinthine". The Economist. December 11, 2008. http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12749771.
7. ^ The criminalisation of Indian democracy (May 2, 2007). "Jo Johnson". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/21d0f5f8-f8c1-11db-a940-000b5df10621.html. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
8. ^ Wax, Emily (2008-07-24). "With Indian Politics, the Bad Gets Worse". Washington Times. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/23/AR2008072303390.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
9. ^ a b c Centre for Media Studies (20/tii/ICS2k5_Vol1.pdf). India Corruption Study 2005: To Improve Governance Volume – I: Key Highlights. Transparency International India.
10. ^ India: Where Shipping Is Shaky. Businessweek
11. ^ Indian bureaucracy ranked worst in Asia: Survey The Times of India, June 3, 2009.
12. ^ K.R. Gupta and J.R. Gupta, Indian Economy, Vol #2, Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2008, ISBN 8126909269. Snippet: ... the land market already stands subverted and an active land mafia has already been created ...
13. ^ "Mulayam Hits Mafia Hard". India Today. 2006-10-16. http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20061016/state-up.html. Retrieved 2008-10-30. Snippet: ... The road sector has always been the main source of income for the mafia. They either ask their men directly to grab the contracts or allow an outsider to take the contract after accepting a hefty commission ... a large number of criminals have been grabbing contracts under the protective umbrella of parties like SP, BSP, BJP, as well as the Congress ... opportunity to refurbish the image of his Government by initiating a crackdown on the mafia-contractor-engineer nexus ...
14. ^ "Killer roads in India and rethinking the death penalty". The Wall Street Journal. liveMint.com. 2008-09-01. http://blogs.livemint.com/blogs/romanticrealist/archive/2008/09/01/killer-roads-in-india-and-rethinking-the-death-penalty.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-30. Snippet: ... this year's rains have destroyed 581 roads in the state with 139 road accidents killing 373 people through 10 August ... they spoke about a road building contractor mafia that pretty much has a lock on many projects for redoing roads--apparently year after year ...
15. ^ "Check-in baggage open to theft (Google cache)". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/30/stories/2009093058370300.htm.
16. ^ "Corruption in Income-Tax: beaten by Babudom". LiveMint. http://www.livemint.com/2007/04/01225456/Corruption-in-IncomeTax-beat.html.
17. ^ "Two Income Tax officials booked for corruption". Indian Express. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/two-income-tax-officials-booked-for-corruption/414293/.
18. ^ Praful Bidwai. "INDIA: Legal System in the Dock". http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37972.
19. ^ http://www.dnaindia.com/india/message-board_is-corruption-widespread-in-the-indian-armed-forces-how-can-it-be-dealt-with_1335253
20. ^ http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1162535&lang=eng_news&cate_img=44.jpg&cate_rss=news_Perspective
21. ^ http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/showthread.php?7280-Corruption-in-Indian-Armed-Forces
22. ^ Torture main reason of death in police custody The Tribune
23. ^ Custodial deaths in West Bengal and India's refusal to ratify the Convention against Torture Asian Human Rights Commission 26 February 2004
24. ^ Custodial deaths and torture in India Asian Legal Resource Centre
25. ^ [1]
26. ^ Are even the Priests taking to corruption?
27. ^ Example of a central government department's implementation of the Right to Information Act.
28. ^ Transparency International Press release
29. ^ Transparency International Press release
30. ^ a b "Karnataka Lokayukta". National Informatics Center. http://lokayukta.kar.nic.in. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
31. ^ "Karnataka Anti-Corruption Laws (Acts)". National Informatics Center. http://lokayukta.kar.nic.in/acts.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
32. ^ "Lokayukta may get constitutional status". Deccan Herald. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/78301/lokayukta-may-get-constitutional-status.html. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
33. ^ "Smart new driving licence issued in Bangalore". Live Mint. http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/25170233/Smart-new-driving-licence-issu.html.
34. ^ "Bangalore Traffic Police". Bangalore Traffic Police. http://www.bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in/.
35. ^ "A.P. Departments > Anti-Corruption Bureau". A.P. Government. http://www.aponline.gov.in/apportal/departments/departments.asp?dep=13&org=83. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
36. ^ "Zero Rupee Note". 5thpillar.org. http://5thpillar.org/~pillar/india/ZRN.
37. ^ "Jaago Re Campaign from Tata Tea". Tata Tea. http://www.jaagore.com/.
38. ^ "nobribe.org". nobribe.org. http://www.nobribe.org.
[edit] Further reading
* Kohli, Suresh (1975). Corruption in India: The Growing Evil. ISBN 0861865804 .
* Dwivedy, Surendranath; Bhargava, G. S. (1967). Political Corruption in India .
* Gupta, K. N. (2001). Corruption in India. Anmol Publications Pvt Ltd. ISBN 8126109734 .
* Halayya, M. (1985). Corruption in India. Affiliated East-West Press .
* Guhan, Sanjivi; Paul, Samuel (1997). Corruption in India: Agenda for Action. Vision Books .
* Vittal, N. (2003). Corruption in India: The Roadblock to National Prosperity. Academic Foundation. ISBN 8171882870 . Excepts
[edit] External links
[edit] Indian government
* CIC - The Central Information Commission is charged with interpreting the Right to Information Act, 2005.
* DoPT - The Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, is charged with being the nodal agency for the Right to Information Act, 2005. It has the powers to make rules regarding appeals, fees, etc.
* Complete text of the Right to Information Act
* Karnataka Information Commission The State Information Commission for Indian State of Karnataka
[hide]
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1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions. 2 Officially known as Myanmar. 3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste. 4 Transcontinental country. 5 Commonly known as Taiwan.
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