Transparency International’s Annual Survey ranked India as less corrupt nation than China. This is for the first time in 18 years as a nationwide outcry against corruption helped lift global perceptions of the South Asian nation. In the annual ranking of least-corrupt nations, India jumped 10 places from its ranking last year to 85th out of the 175. China dropped 20 places in the ranking to number 100. The last time, India performed better than China in the rankings was in 1996. Both nations held the same rankings in 2006 and 2007.
The Berlin-based watchdog studied multilateral banks, big foundations and other international institutions about the level of corruption in different countries to come up with its annual Corruption Perceptions Index which was used for the rankings. “Insights on India helped as avenue protests and national elections focused the world’s largest democracy’s attention on corruption”, stated the Berlin-based watchdog.
The need to cleanse the system led to the passage of anti-corruption laws and the formation of a new government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government came into power in May by promising to fight corruption. Transparency International India executive director Ashutosh Kumar Mishra awarded credit to the anti-corruption movement sparked by Gandhian Anna Hazare. His high-profile protests helped force the previous government to frame a number of anti-corruption bills. While a small breakthrough has been achieved, our country still has a long way to go before it can come close to the least-corrupt nations like Denmark, Australia, Canada and Singapore. “To improve India’s rankings Modi has to take action to pass and implement anti-corruption laws immediately”, quoted Mr. Mishra.
Anna Hazare has won the battle against corruption but war is remaining. Earlier, the Gandhian had gone on fasting in the glistening Sun and intended to stay there until his death unless the government concurs on the issue of considering a powerful law that could disembarrass Indian politics of the scourge of corruption. Corruption exists everywhere. It is a question of degree. Some countries are almost totally honest while others are highly dishonest and there are many others in between. Every person scorns corruption in our social milieu. But it does not mean that a person keeps himself aloof from the issue of corruption. Corruption in India has already traversed its mark. Every one knows that corruption is a term of closely coupled with an illegitimate, wicked or an illicit act done eventually in official conduct.
Corruption is the origin of all other tribulations that our country faces. Let us look this issue with reference to India. Our nation faces myriad problems like poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, pollution; external threats and underdevelopment. But having a glimpse at all these problems faced by India as well as Indians one might notice that corruption plays a major role in making these issues even bigger. Corruption is affecting India’s economic growth.
Corruption is an obstinate problem. It is like blood pressure, can only be controlled, but not perfectly purged. Honest and enthusiastic persons in civic life, control over electoral expenses could be the most important prescriptions to combat corruption. It has a caustic blow on our economy. It smacks our image in global market and leads to loss of overseas opportunities. Need to make money is quite devastating that people are forgetting the spirit of tried and experienced principles of honesty, veracity and precision. Corruption should be loomed from the perspective of the sound effects it has on expansion.
The problem in India is far more wide spread and it exists at the topmost level, which means that at very high business level, things like insider trading, mergers and other such business activities, results into corruption. Unfortunately in India, today’s situation seems to be such that one cannot get anywhere without paying money. If one wishes to avail a telephone connection, he has to pay money. This corruption has become pervasive. It exists at the top political level, in the police, judiciary and everywhere. Politicians are corrupt because power comes to them without control. Ministers can’t be corrupt without the assistance of the civil service officials.
Lakhs of people around the nation have found their once suppressed voice in Anna Hazare had gone on fast-unto-death to weed out corruption with streets across the state teeming with supporters of the Gandhian.
Mithun Dey
