CORRUPTION
In philosophical, In philosophical, theological, theological, deviation
from
or moral moral discussions, corruption is spiritual is spiritual or moral impurity moral impurity or
an ideal. an ideal.
Corruption
may
include
many
activities
including bribery including bribery and embezzlement and embezzlement.Government, .Government, or 'political', corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for personal gain. Now-a-days corruption can be seen everywhere. It is like cancer in public life, which has not become so rampant and perpetuated overnight, but in course of time. A country where leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Lai Bahadur Shastri and Kamraj have taken birth and led a value-based is now facing the problem of corruption. When we talk of corruption in public life, it covers corruption in politics, state governments, central governments, "business, industry and so on. Public dealing counters in most all government offices are the places where corruption most evident. If anybody does not pay for the work it is sure work won't be done. People have grown insatiable appetite for money in them and they can go to any extent to get money. Undoubtedly they talk of morality and the importance of value-based life but that is for outer show. Their inner voice is something else. It is always crying for money. It has been seen the officers who are deputed to look into the matters of corruption turn out to be corrupt. Our leaders too are not less corrupt. Thus the network of corruption goes on as usual and remains undeterred. Corruption is seen even in the recruitment department where appointments are ensured through reliable middle agencies. Nexus between politicians and bureaucrats works in a very sophisticated manner. Nexus does also exist between criminals and police. Everybody knows that criminals have no morals, hence nothing good can we expect from them. But police are supposed to be the symbol of law and order and discipline. Even they are indulged in corruption. This is more so because they enjoy unlimited powers and there is no action against them even on complaints and sufficient proof of abuse of office atrocities and high handedness.
Corruption can be need-based or greed-based. Better governance can at least help to check need based corruption. Better governance can check greed based corruption also because punishment for the corrupt will be very effective and prompt in a better-governed country. The steps should be taken to correct the situation overall. Declarations of property and assets of the government employees are made compulsory and routine and surprise inspections and raids be conducted at certain intervals. Though it seerris very difficult to control corruption but it is not impossible. It is not only the responsibility of the government but ours too. We can eliminate corruption if there will be joint effort. We must have some high principles to follow so that we may be models for the coming generation. Let us take a view to create an atmosphere free from corruption. That will be our highest achievement as human beings. Most of us have an idea of what corruption is. But we don’t necessarily share the same idea. That is why we need to ask the question about what corruption is. For example, do you believe giving money to speed up the processing of an application is corruption? Do you think awarding contracts to those who gave large campaign contributions is corruption? Do you think bribing a doctor to ensure your mother gets the medicine she needs is corruption? Do you think using government construction equipment to build an addition on one’s house is corruption? Corruption is not just the clearly “bad” cases of government officials skimming off money for their own benefit. It includes cases where the systems don’t work well, and ordinary people are left in a bind, needing to give a bribe for the medicine or the licenses they need. All of the above are examples of public corruption. They all involve the misuse of public office for private gain. In other words, they involve a government official benefiting at the expense of the taxpayer or at the expense of the average person who comes into contact with the government. By contrast, Private corruption is between individuals in the private sector, such as the Mafia extorting money from a local business. This course deals primarily with public corruption. Corruption is not only a western concept. In any society, there is a difference between what happens above board and what is under the table, of what is accepted and what causes outrage.
Gift giving in many village traditions, for example, is not considered corruption as the transaction is transparent and not secret; the scale is modest, not life-changing; the benefits are usually shared with the community, for example the council of elders; and the public rights are not violated. DEFINITION OF 'CORRUPTION':
Dishonest behavior by those in positions of power, such as managers or government officials. Corruption can include giving or accepting bribes or inappropriate gifts, double dealing, underthe-table transactions, manipulating elections, diverting funds, laundering money and defrauding investors. One example of corruption in the world of finance would be an investment manager who is actually running a ponzi scheme.
TYPES OF CORRUPTION •
Bribery
•
Governmental corruction of judiciary
•
Trading in influence
•
Patronage
•
Nepotism and cronyism
•
Electoral fraud
•
Embezzlement
•
Kickbacks
•
Unholy alliance
•
Involvement in organized crime
DIFFERENT SECTORS:
Government/Public Sector
Legislative System (Political)
Executive System (Police)
Judiciary System
Corporate
Unions
CAUSES OF CORRUPTION The causes of corruption are many and complex. Following are some of the causes of corruption.
Emergence of political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programmes and policies.
Artificial scarcity created by the people with malevolent intentions wrecks the fabric of the economy.
Corruption is caused as well as increased because of the change in the value system and ethical qualities of men who administer. The old ideals of morality, service and honesty are regarded as an achronistic.
Tolerance of people towards corruption, complete lack of intense public outcry against corruption and the absence of strong public forum to oppose corruption allow corruption to reign over people.
Vast size of population coupled with widespread illiteracy and the poor economic infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life.
In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to resort to the road of corruption. Graduates from IIMs with no experience draw a far handsome salary than what government secretaries draw.
Complex laws and procedures alienate common people to ask for any help from government.
Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level. Big industrialist fund politicians to meet high cost of election and ultimately to seek personal favour. Bribery to politicians buys influence, and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people, who are slogging for two times’ meal.
EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION 1. Effects on politics, administration, and institutions 2. Economic effects 3. Environmental and social effects 4. Effects on Humanitarian Aid 5. Other areas: health, public safety, education, trade unions, etc. EFFECTS ON POLITICS, ADMINISTRATION, AND INSTITUTIONS:
Corruption
poses
a
serious
development
challenge.
In
the political
realm,
it
undermines democracy and good governance by flouting or even subverting formal processes. Corruption inelections and in legislative bodies reduces accountability and distorts representation in policymaking; corruption in the judiciary compromises the rule of law; and corruption in public administration results in the inefficient provision of services. ECONOMIC EFFECTS:
Corruption undermines economic development by generating considerable distortions and inefficiency. In the private sector, corruption increases the cost of business through the price of illicit payments themselves, the management cost of negotiating with officials, and the risk of breached agreements or detection. Although some claim corruption reduces costs by cutting red tape, the availability of bribes can also ind uce officials to contrive new rules and dela ys. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS:
Corruption facilitates environmental destruction. Corrupt countries may formally have legislation to protect the environment, it cannot be enforced if officials can easily be bribed. The same applies to social rights worker protection, unionization prevention, and child labor. Violation of these laws rights enables corrupt countries to gain illegitimate economic advantage in the international market.
EFFECTS ON HUMANITARIAN AID:
The scale of humanitarian aid to the poor and unstable regions of the world grows, but it is highly vulnerable to corruption, with food aid, construction and other highly valued assistance as the most at risk. Food aid can be directly and physically diverted from its intended destination, or indirectly through the manipulation of assessments, targeting, registration and distributions to favor certain groups or individuals. Elsewhere, in construction and shelter, there are numerous opportunities for diversion and profit through substandard workmanship, kickbacks for contracts and favoritism in the provision of valuable shelter material.
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SUGGESTIONS Is it possible to contain corruption in our society? Corruption is a cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. Many new leaders when come into power declare their determination to eradicate corruption but soon they themselves become corrupt and start amassing huge wealth. Many People become materialistic and money oriented, there is no important of ethics and morals in business dealings. Many people thinking that money which coming to their pocket is good, same way many thinking that money which going out from their pocket is bad, but they don’t consider the way money traveling. This is because these kinds of people have no moral accountability to anybody; and these kind have people have full trust on money, they strongly believing that money can hold big role in their life, they believing that money can solve their current and future problems, they believing that money can give them life without problems. Some of the Suggestions are given below: 1.
What can be remedy of corruption? It can be only possible if people can understand and start to believe the values of ethics and morality in their life. People will start to believe that their life is accountable if they really start to believe in GOD, in oneness of GOD and if they really start to live life on the way which GOD has chosen for mankind. GOD has given the wisdom to each and every human being, heart of everyone telling him/her that the way he/she following to get money is good/bad. The most important thing is person should listen and follow the good part of his heart.
2. Foolproof laws should be made so that there is no room for discretion for politicians and bureaucrats. The role of the politician should be minimized. Application of the evolved policies should be left in the hands of independent commission or authority in each area of public interest. Decision of the commission or authority should be challengeable only in the courts. 3.
Cooperation of the people has to be obtained for successfully containing corruption. People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming indifferent to the electorate.
4.
Funding of elections is at the core of political corruption. Electoral reforms are crucial in this regard. Several reforms like: State funding of election expenses for candidates; strict enforcement of statutory requirements like holding in-party elections, making political parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income-tax returns; denying persons with criminal records a chance to contest elections, should be brought in.
5.
Responsiveness, accountability and transparency are a must for a clean system. Bureaucracy, the backbone of good governance, should be made more citizen friendly, accountable, ethical and transparent.
6.
More and more courts should be opened for speedy & inexpensive justice so that cases don’t linger in courts for years and justice is delivered on time.
7.
Local bodies, Independent of the government, like Lokpals, Lokadalats, CVCs and Vigilance Commissions should be formed to provide speedy justice with lo w expenses.
8.
A new Fundamental Right viz. Right to Information should be introduced, which will empower the citizens to ask for the information they want. Barring some confidential information, which concerns national and international security, other information should be made available to general public as and when required. Stringent actions against corrupt officials will certainly have a deterrent impact.
ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORT •
Right to information act
•
Ombudsmen
•
Computerization
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Whistleblowers
•
Creation of Anti-Corruption Police and Courts
•
Private sector initiatives
CONCLUSION Corruption is an intractable problem. It is like diabetes, can only be controlled, but not totally eliminated. It may not be possible to root out corruption completely at all levels but it is possible to contain it within tolerable limits. Honest and dedicated persons in public life, control over electoral expenses could be the most important prescriptions to combat corruption. Corruption has a corrosive impact on our economy. It worsens our image in international market and leads to loss of overseas opportunities. Corruption is a global problem that all countries of the world have to confront, solutions, however, can only be home grown. Coruption, as we know is the criminal thing that do by a person in a certain capacity especially with negative connotation, they do the illegal thing to make a benefit for them self. We can difference coruption into 2 calsses. First is Petty corruption, its a kind o f coruption where did by some people in a little capacity, they do a little coruption, but they do that many times. The other cases of coruption is State capture refers to a situation in which private interest has effectively taken over certain state functions, a type So, coruption is an illegal thing that we couldn’t do, because, with out coruption we can be a good generetion for our country. And then we can make our country clear from coruption and make our country better. Of corruption generally less understood by the public or by the media.
QUESTIONNAIRE Can corruption ever be a good thing? Is there a cultural element to corruption? Which Countries are the Most Corrupt? What are the Common Characteristics of Countries with High Co rruption? What is the Magnitude of Corruption? Do Higher Wages for Bureaucrats Reduce Corruption? Can Competition Reduce Corruption? Why Have There Been So Few (Recent) Successful Attempts To Fight Corruption? Does Corruption Adversely Affect Growth?
