Vigilance Awareness Week is observed between 30th October to 4th November every year in all Government and public sector organisations. Over the years this observance has become just a symbolic gesture where some persons of repute are invited to give a pep talk and its business as usual after that. Corruption in India is endemic. However, the Global Corruption Index (GCI) shows India at 75th position out of 175 countries. In 2014 India was at 96th position. While the GCI is all about perception as opposed to ground realities there is some hope that at least in the ease of doing business India might fare better than it used to. Corruption is not easy to define in tangible terms but it essentially means miszuse or abuse of power by people who are supposed to be custodians of public money. They are essentially politicians, bureaucrats and managers of corporations etc. However, corruption is not just about giving or receiving bribes; it is also about nepotism and the injudicious use of resources. When resources are wasted because of poor deployment it is the poor that are hurt the most, This is seen especially in health care and education. Government health departments are known to procure medicines which are spurious or with a short shelf life mainly because there is a collusion between the drug suppliers and the Health Minister or the Health bureaucracy. The same is true of education too where teachers who are not qualified are appointed because they have political clout or because they have paid money to the appointing authorities.
In government and semi government institutions and sometimes even in banks, the ‘red tape’ is a way of making it difficult to do straight and transparent transactions. The more convoluted the rules the more the opportunities for bureaucrats to bend them by taking cuts from contractors/suppliers. One way of doing away with corruption is to simplify the rules and make the bidding process transparent. Also in the age of digital technology a robust system of check and balances can be created where the chances of human interface are reduced. India is yet to develop a zero-tolerance policy for corruption where the corrupt are given exemplary punishment. In fact, in India, it is the bureaucracy that is the problem and which hinders good governance. When this will change is a difficult question to answer!
Corruption impacts on quality of service delivered to the people. A good example is the quality of roads in Meghalaya. Driving licenses are issued without a test drive, resulting in careless driving and accidents galore. Polluting industries are allowed to continue because they are given a clean chit by the Pollution Control Boards. These are just a few examples. Others abound but with a passive citizenry and a dearth of whistle blowers corruption continues unabated.