FIGHTING CORRUPTION

MORAL VALUES MUST PREVAIL

A World Bank defines corruption as use of public office for priate profit! W"en t"e #orld #as
diided bet#een t"e t#o superpo#ers and t"e $old War #as on% t"e World Bank did not focus
on t"e issue of corruption as a si&nificant issue! T"e reason is obious! So lon& as t"e $old War
preailed% #"at 'attered #as t"e ideolo&ical orientation of t"e countr( receiin& t"e aid! It used
to be said b( t"e superpo#ers% )We kno# t"at so and so is a son of a bitc"% but "e is our son of a
bitc")! T"is approac" under#ent a 'assie c"an&e #"en t"e $old War ended! T"e ta*pa(ers in
t"e aid+&iin& countries started ,uestionin& #"et"er t"e aid &ien #as reac"in& t"e beneficiaries
in t"e recipient countries! T"at t"e issue of c"eckin& corruption and t"ereb( ensurin& &ood
&oernance #as an i'portant pre+re,uisite for deelop'ent and re'oal of poert( in
deelopin& countries is no# #idel( reco&ni-ed! $orruption% t"erefore% "as beco'e an issue of
&lobal concern! It is not onl( in t"e area of public &oernance t"at fi&"tin& corruption beca'e a
central issue! Een in t"e area of &lobal business% t"anks to t"e sca's in t"e (ear .///% #"en
0ortune 1// co'panies like Enron and uniersall( reputed co'panies like Art"ur Anderson #ere
e*posed as "ain& indul&ed in financial en&ineerin& and #indo#+dressin& of accounts
'isleadin& t"e 'arket and t"e inestors% t"e issue of corporate &oernance assu'ed e,ual
i'portance! 2onest( is t"e best polic(% is a discoer( t"e #orld 'ade once a&ain in t"e 344/s!
Strin&ent le&al steps% like t"e Sorbonne O*le( Act in t"e United States% #ere taken!
Matter of concern
As #e look a"ead% t"e ,uestion before us is #ill corruption continue to pla&ue t"e countr(5
$orruption is anti+poor! In a countr(% #"ere .6 per cent of t"e population is belo# t"e poert(
line% corruption "its t"e poor er( badl(! Man( of t"e deelop'ent sc"e'es 'eant for t"e
#eaker sections do not benefit t"e' at all! Ra7i 8and"i re'arked t"at onl( 31 paisa out of eer(
rupee 'eant for t"e anti+poert( pro&ra''e reac"es t"e beneficiaries! In fact% t"e 'a7or point of
criticis' about t"e 8oern'ent of India9s E'plo('ent 8uarantee Act% #"ic" isuali-es a Rs
3%1/%///+crore sc"e'e + to ensure t"at all citi-ens in t"e rural areas are assured of a 'ini'u'
3// da(s of #ork #it" a dail( #a&e of Rs 6/ + is seen as a tre'endous opportunit( for corrupt
ele'ents a'on& t"e bureaucrac( and politicians to sip"on off "u&e funds! Een t"e Ma"aras"tra
E'plo('ent 8uarantee Sc"e'e% on #"ic" t"e $entral 8oern'ent9s sc"e'e "as been 'odeled%
also offers no "ope! Een in t"at sc"e'e% t"ere are false 'uster rolls! Aruna Ro( t"rou&" "er
Ma-door :isan San&"ars" Sa'iti brou&"t "o'e in Ra7ast"an t"e e*tent of leaka&e in
deelop'ent funds! As #e look a"ead to t"e ne*t 3/ to 31 (ears% #"at is it t"at #e can "ope for
on t"e corruption front5 It is er( eas( to be pessi'istic! T"e pessi'ist can al#a(s ar&ue t"at
corruption "as al#a(s been #it" us like t"e poor and it is a &lobal p"eno'enon! ;eert"eless%
t"e fact is t"at #"ile corruption is a &lobal p"eno'enon% #e "ae seen countries #"ic" #ere
corrupt% refor'in& t"e'seles and &ettin& t"e benefits of corruption+free% &ood &oernance in
our o#n lifeti'e! Sin&apore is a classic e*a'ple! Bots#ana "as also been ,uoted b( t"e World
Bank as a &ood African countr(% #"ic" "as done #ell on t"e issue of fi&"tin& corruption! If #e
look at "istor(% t"anks to t"e "i&"l( et"ical Willia' 8ladstone% four ti'es Pri'e Minister of
Britain% t"e U: #"ic" #as a corrupt countr( in t"e 34t" centur( beca'e a #ell+&oerned countr(
b( t"e be+&innin& of t"e ./t" centur(!
Begin with schools
In India% t"is #"ole concept of &ood be"aiour &ot cr(stallised in d"ar'a% or t"e set of duties
eer( person "as to perfor'! In t"e B"a&ada&ita% Lord :ris"na sa(s in $"apter < )s#ad"ar'e
nid"ana's"re(a parad"ar'o b"a(apa"a)! =oin& one9s o#n dut( is t"e 'ost desirable and if one
cannot perfor' dut(% deat" is a better option! T"is inculcation of alues in t"e educational
s(ste' is possible! T"is% in turn% #ould 'ean referrin& to t"e sources of tradition #"ic" #ill
inole a reference to so'e reli&ion! Toda(% for e*a'ple% t"ese alues of &ood conduct% based on
2indu traditions% are tau&"t in t"e =AV and t"e Ra'akris"na Mission sc"ools! In $"ristian
'issionar( sc"ools% t"e 'oral lessons are dra#n on t"e basis of $"ristian teac"in&s! But our
&oern'ent "ain& been secular% it "as been re'arkabl( successful in totall( eli'inatin& an(
induction of alues in our educational s(ste'! We "ae% t"ere+fore% a #"ole lot of students
co'in& t"rou&" t"e sc"ools #"ere t"e( do not learn an( alues! T"is bi& defect "as to be
rectified! I a' "app( t"at t"is see's to "ae been reali-ed especiall( after t"e sca's of 344> and
./// in &lobal business! In t"e institutions like Anna Uniersit(% en&ineerin& et"ics "as been
introduced as a separate sub7ect! But #"at about ot"er strea's of education5 If #e #ant India to
beco'e less corrupt% if not corruption+free% #e 'ust start #it" t"e educational s(ste' and ensure
t"at 'oral alues are inducted!
Role models
T"e second factor #"ic" decides t"e leel of corruption is a set of social alues! 2ere% opinion
'akers in societ( "ae to beco'e role 'odels! Unfortunatel(% our politics "as beco'e
cri'inali-ed! La#+breakers are la#'akers toda(! T"e onl( people t"e (out" probabl( look upon
as role 'odels are politicians and 'edia stars #"o collectiel( represent #"at is called t"e Pa&e
T"ree culture! So far as professions are concerned% eer( professional association can up"old
et"ics and codes of conduct% and t"ereb( build role 'odels and benc"'arks for &uidin& societ(!
T"e t"ird i'portant factor is t"e s(ste'! In an( societ(% fro' t"e et"ics point of ie#% 3/ per cent
'a(% b( nature% be et"ical and 3/ per cent #ill% b( nature% be corrupt% and ?/ per cent #ill 'odif(
t"eir be"aior dependin& on t"e s(ste'! One si'ple e*a'ple of t"is is "o#% #"ile an Indian 'a(
t"ro# rubbis" on t"e streets #it"out battin& an e(elid% t"e sa'e Indian% #"en "e reac"es
Sin&apore% is on &uard and 'a( not co''it nuisance or t"ro# rubbis" on t"e streets! We 'ust
redesi&n our s(ste' of &oernance to c"eck corruption! $orruption toda( is a &a'e in #"ic" fie
'a7or pla(ers are inoled! T"e( are t"e corrupt neta% t"e babu% lala% 7"ola and dada+t"e corrupt
politicians% t"e corrupt bureaucrats% t"e corrupt business'en% t"e corrupt ;8Os and cri'inals!
0or tacklin& eac" of t"e'% I #ould su&&est t"e follo#in&@ Political corruption is at t"e root of all
corruption in our countr(! Our politics is corrupt because it is based on black 'one(! Eer(
political part( collects cas"% #"ic" is black 'one(! Black 'one( is o*(&en for corruption and
corruption is o*(&en for black 'one(! T"erefore% #e 'ust focus on electoral refor' and
reducin& black 'one(! Si'ultaneousl(% #e 'ust also brin& &reater transparenc( in t"e raisin& of
funds b( t"e political parties! So'e steps "ae been taken for re'oin& restrictions on political
contributions! We s"ould tr( to create a situation si'ilar to t"at of t"e United States or Britain in
so far as fund+raisin& is concerned! T"is #ould proide an opportunit( to reduce corruption! =r
Aa(aprakas" ;ara(an% a er( co''itted IAS officer #"o resi&ned and set up an ;8O% Lok Satta%
in And"ra Prades"% "as "i&"li&"ted t"e need for c"an&in& our electoral s(ste' itself! Instead of
t"e Britis" s(ste' of first past t"e post% #"ic" onl( nine out of B> countries "ae adopted% #e
s"ould opt for a s(ste' of proportional representation! 2e also su&&ests direct elections for t"e
post of c"ief 'inister% #"o can t"en appoint a cabinet of talent! It is an interestin& idea and #ort"
tr(in&! To be&in #it"% it is necessar( to build a consensus in t"e countr( on t"is idea!
Winning formla
So far as bureaucratic corruption is concerned% t"e follo#in& t"ree+point for'ula 'ust be
adopted! Si'plification of rules and procedures to reduce t"e scope of corruptionC Transparenc(
and e'po#erin& of public% and Effectie punis"'ent! T"ere is an ur&ent need to brin& a sense of
accountabilit( in bureaucrac(! Article <33 proides so 'uc" protection to t"e public serant t"at
it is er( difficult to take action effectiel( and in ti'e a&ainst corrupt officials! 0i&"tin&
corruption is a "ard task! T"ere cannot be a sin&le+point approac" to t"e task! We "ae to adopt a
'ulti+point approac"% so'e of #"ic" I "ae indicated aboe! We t"en co'e to t"e basic
,uestion! T"e po#ers t"at be% #"et"er in politics or bureaucrac( or business% are benefitin& fro'
t"e corrupt s(ste'! $an t"ere be a situation #"ere t"ese beneficiaries of corruption #ill initiate
action to c"eck corruption5 T"at 'a( a'ount to causin& "ara+kiri! M( perception is t"at as far as
our politicians are concerned% t"e( act onl( under t#o circu'stances@ One% #"ere t"e TI;A
DT"ere is no alternatieE factor preailsC and t#o% #"ere t"ere is a ote bank adanta&e! T"e
TI;A factor can be created in our countr( b( broadl( t#o 'et"ods! One is b( usin& t"e route of
t"e public interest liti&ation and actiatin& t"e Supre'e $ourt so t"at t"e persons concerned "ae
no alternatie but to i'ple'ent it! T"e enact'ent of t"e $V$ Act and t"e practice of t"e
candidates declarin& t"eir cri'inal record #"ile filin& no'inations are e*a'ples of t"is t(pe!
2o#eer% t"ere are also li'its to 7udicial interention! T"e second instru'ent t"at can create t"e
TI;A factor is tec"nolo&(% particularl( infor'ation tec"nolo&(! We "ae seen "o# in t"e
rail#a( reseration s(ste'% t"e use of IT "as brou&"t do#n corruption! I understand t"at een in
t"e issue of passport% co'puteri-ation "as "elped in brin&in& do#n corruption! So &reater use of
IT and refor'in& and si'plif(in& t"e procedures can be t"e second broad strate&( to "elp create
t"e TI;A factor! 0inall(% #e "ae to practice t"e adice &ien in t"e Taitre(a Upanis"ad to
arrie at constructie solutions to our proble'@
Sa"ana aatu Sa"anau b"unaktu
Sa"a Vir(a' kara a a"ai
Te7as ina 'adit"a astu
Ma id" is"a a"ai
O' S"antiF S"antiF S"anti
DLet us co'e to&et"er! Let us en7o( to&et"er! Let our stren&t"s co'e to&et"er! Let us 'oe fro'
darkness to li&"t! Let us aoid t"e poison of 'isunderstandin& and "atred! T"at #a( lies
pro&ress!E
Adoptin& t"is strate&(% #e can definitel( see India beco'in& a less corrupt% pro&ressie and
deeloped countr( in t"e ne*t 3/ to 31 (ear
PRAVI; :AUS2AL
Ref@ T"e 2indu% ET% 2T% $;;+IB;% Lok Sab"a $"annel
$"oice@ aptitudeGpolit(Gdisaster