A shortage of basic decent human life in India has forced a common person to be corrupt. It is impossible for a common man to own a roof, provide good education to his children and hope for a peaceful retirement in India using normal and honest means. One has to bribe someone to get a good education, to get a deserving job and to avail services which one is entitled as being a citizen of India. A two percent growth rate in the GDP for two decades and explosive population growth in the last fifty years has brought corruption to every sphere of life in India. With such a huge population and massive government control, everything seem to be in short supply.
In India, government controls education, means of daily transportation, heavy industry like steel and automobile production, oil and gas production and distribution, public works departments, irrigation, banking, power generation and distribution, water purification and distribution, distribution of basic food commodities to individuals living below the poverty line, defense, hospitals, police, judiciary and dozens of other areas affecting its citizens’ day-to-day life. Declining real wages has forced the government employees to use their position to extort money from other civilians to fulfill obligations towards their families. Criminalization of politics and poorly qualified politicians has further enabled sometimes forced these employees to misuse their authority. It is common to secure favors in various state and central government by bribing elected politicians. Ministers openly ask government employee to bring huge sums to return favors. A financially lucrative posting and award of government contracts are the big routes to funnel tax payer’s money back to ruling party and politician’s personal accounts. Domino effect of such bribes can be seen to the lowest level of the society. Government contracts run over budget. Hence the deficits in the government budgets keep on growing. On the other side, contractors performing these jobs squeeze the common labor to make their profits. Poor roads, inadequate drinking water supply in villages and acute housing shortage in various cities are few of a long list resulting from such government controlled environment. Farmers have to bribe government controlled bank officials to get an approval for a loan to buy tractors or other machinery. One has to bribe another set of government employees to get permits and basic supplies needed for developing any personnel and commercial property. Poor infrastructure and underdevelopment of villages is a direct result of such government control. Government’s total failure in power generation and distribution has substantially added to such underdevelopment. Corruption has also seeped in the poorly paid police and the judiciary system. Traffic laws in India seem to be the worst in the world. One can bribe a government official to get a driver’s license without even taking a driving test. A small bribe on the spot to a traffic policeman can save a traffic ticket or a court trip. Most of the government controlled schools and colleges run short of teachers and other staff. Most of the teachers at the school level almost force students to take private lessons from them by avoiding any teaching in the schools. Colleges are run by poorly qualified or without any teachers at all. Poor quality of education provided in the government schools has forced individuals to pursue private schools out of their financial reach. This further forces individuals in power to be more corrupt. This in a long run has divided our society in distinct educated and totally illiterate groups. Seniority or caste based promotions in government controlled jobs force most individuals to take bribes to fulfill their responsibilities otherwise impossible to cater on ever declining wages. With closed economy, quality products are in limited supply. Normal individuals have to bribe someone to buy quality products used in day-to-day life. Basically, such massive government involvement in an ordinary citizen’s life has helped corruption to grow leaps and bound.
With loose campaign financing rules, millions of rupees are funneled in various political party’s election fund from the major industrial houses. This results in higher prices of the goods used by the general public. Subsidies in the name of poor, which never reach to the one intended, facilitate corruption in more government employees. Government’s funding of inefficient steel plants, oil refineries, fertilizer and chemical plants and other massive money losing public sector is a direct result of poorly managed and highly corrupt administration.
Corruption in India can not be eradicated by questioning ethical standards of its population. Removal of corruption can only be achieved by right macro-economic policies and by reducing government control. Honest political leadership is a must as a first step. Opening the economy for the investors around the world can provide the needed capital. Fresh ideas and entrepreneurial spirit has to replace the beauracratic government control for a wealthier society. Supply of basic commodities has to be higher than the demand for general population to not bribe any government officials. Only skilled entrepreneurs hired by public shareholders can bring the money loosing monster public sector to profitability. An efficient tax collection mechanism supported by computerized revenue reporting systems of individual businesses would be a step in the right direction. Qualified political leadership is required to understand and implement such policies. Most importantly, political will of these leaders will be required to take such actions.
In conclusion, corruption in India exists because of the unfulfillment of the basic needs of the general population. To eradicate corruption, India has to implement right macro-economic policies rather than questioning the ethical standards of its population.
Provided
by:Utkarsh Kansal