Free sample essay on Corruption – Causes and Solutions. India as a country has been placed the lowest of rungs on the international ladder of corruption prevalent amongst the countries of the world, with the Scandinavian countries on the upper rungs. The survey showed that India is placed near Pakistan and Bangladesh with some countries of Africa even far less developed than us, on a higher pedestal.
How has this come about in a country which has been proud of its holy scriptures and the advices of sages like Adi Sankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Ram Krishna Paramhans, which were given after years of meditation and self-sacrifice? Advices which our society believes to be followed by good human beings and patriotic nationals.
The basic inception of corruption started with our opportunistic leaders which have permeated down to the babus and officialdom. This downslide became more prominent after the split in Cengress in 1969 setting the trend for adverse socio-political conditions in the country. The stalwarts of the time, who were considered principled leaders, were sidetracked and sent into oblivion. A new generation of Congress came to the forefront, ambitious, greedy and placing self before the country.
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Corruption has become all pervading and if the leaders can manage it on a large scale without hassles, the rest also can manage it too, of course on a smaller scale.
It is now becoming increasingly obvious that our nation is not ready for democracy. Freedom has been misinterpreted as the license to be corrupt, license ti illegal activities, of not being responsible for any work in Government Departments.
How can our monitoring banks and agencies shirk from their responsibilities by blaming each other whilst the corrupt directors laugh all the way to the bank? This could only happen in our country. In any other country, they would have been asked to pay the poor small investors their money. Exemplary action need to be taken if we want the investors money safe. National and Private Banks have extremely poor levels of servicing and the Post Offices are worst. Loans from the banks obviously mean a lot of running around and hassles.
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The Obudsman appointed for Banks is also not very effective. The officials are involved in giving extensive loans without effective security. The cases of CR Bhansali, Ketan Mehta and Parekh are well known besides smaller entities not very well known. It is possible by submitting false documents which are deliberately not properly verified. The reasons need not be mentioned over and again. The need today is strict penal action to deter such activities.
The physicians, surgeons, lawyers and engineers of the day are also totally inhumane, irresponsible citizens who have mined money and fleeced the hapless clients to the limit Serving the country is the last thing in their mind and they would leave the country at the drop of a hat. This after the nation has spent lakhs of rupees on subsidizing their studies.
The lawyers deliberately linger on the cases for even decades by managing things and as the adage goes, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Even our new Chief Justice of India has gone on record as saying that the courts have become a den of corruption. The lawyers should behave like responsible citizens and it is their duty to ensure quick justice and refrain from squeezing money from the poor clients.
Similarly the medical practitioners have some duties as good citizens. Besides their Hippocratic Oath they study social and preventive medicines for the whole duration of their degree course, but how many practice it. They do not attend properly to patients in state run hospitals, referring them to their nursing homes for better treatment, only for money. The only cure to this is strict enforcement of rules and taking exemplary action.
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The most unfortunate example of corruption is the falling from grace of the teaching community. The professors and teachers of the day play truant from their teaching assignments in schools, colleges and universities of atmost just run through the chapters without making any efforts to clear the conception of students.
How is it that even our intelligentsia who should be the backbone of our country are so corrupted? What examples are being set before our future generations? We remember our teachers of yore and their dignity. They had earned their respect through earnest endeavours in the true ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara.’ All that is lost today.
The question is raised again, if our nation is suited for the democratic system of governance. We have misinterpreted the meaning of freedom. Our work culture is in shambles, our politics is without any ethics and the law and order machinery is not helping the common man at all. Altogether it can be summed up as a disaster. There should be a referendum for change of system altogether. An atmosphere has to be created where the good, the patriotic and the intellectuals come forward without any fear of humiliation and physical harm.
What we need is a governance on the lines of USA, a Federal system of governance where a national referendum is made for the election of President, who then selects the cream of intelligentia, master in their own fields, to advice him on the various aspects of national governance and international relations. We also need a media which is fearless, outspoken and the real watchdog of society.
Earlier we had ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri who resigned taking full moral responsibility for a train accident. Today we have Rail Minister who could be least bothered to visit accident sites and easily pass on the blame to scapegoats.
We also have the unique case of a financial expert like Dr. Man Mohan Singh who ushered in a financial reform of the level never seen earlier. We could have the opportunity to use the services of Dr. Amartya Sen, a Nobel Prize winning economist who really do the necessary for the poor and middle class, instead of bland slogans like ‘Garibi Hatao’ but nobody even offered to talk to him on the lines.
Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made an open admission that what filters down to the poor in poverty alleviation programs, grants are 16 paisa of a rupee. The rest lining the pockets of ministers, bureaucrats and middle men.
Corruption – this all pervading character, several monetary and favourtism, has become the hall-mark of our politics and leaders. This has seeped down to our officials too. Anything can be done for money and power. This also holds true vice-versa and we have had our astute politicians too.
So, it is not surprising that the election commission made a statement a few years back stating that at least 40 per cent of our elected representative in Parliament and State Assemblies have had criminal cases registered against them before coming to power.
The rule and role of criminal elements in Indian politics has now become inevitable and they are being issued party tickets out to fear and favour. Also to counter other criminal elements belonging to other parties.
It is not surprising then that during and after elections, they let loose a reign of terror which culminates in reaching a peak of womanizing, property grabbing, abduction and forced appropriations of public and private funds after getting elected.
Our country needs this to eliminate Corruption.