“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“In this article, I will discuss about the corruption in India and some of the measures that can help in eradicating or at least reducing corruption.
Corruption in India is very widespread. As per Transparency International Report (2013), India ranks 94 among 177 nations in Corruption Perception Index. Newspapers report a number of corruption cases involving ministers, MPs, MLAs, business houses, government offices as well as private companies. Corruption in our country has made the rich richer and the poor poorer. In our country, even after 67 years of Independence, many people in remote villages still live without Roads, Electricity or drinking water; forget about education, health or a decent life. This is a good example of how common people are affected due to corruption the country.
Let me now discuss some of the ways that can help in eradicating or at least reducing corruption in India.
- e-Governance
e-Governance can be used as an effective tool to eradicate or reduce corruption to great extent. E-Governance facilitates direct interaction between the Government & the citizen eliminating the interference of the middlemen. Normally the middle-man (called “Dalaal” in Hindi) acts as an agent who collects money (bribe) from the citizen & pays to the corrupt government officials to get the work done. There are examples, where a common man can’t get his work done without the help of middlemen. Examples of such practices are seen widely in Regional Transport Office (RTO), Property Registration Office, etc. Citizens are empowered with ICT tools to interact with the Government Departments for getting various public services.
- Education
Education can play a great role in reduction of corruption in the society. Normally uneducated or less educated people are not aware of various government processes. Taking advantage of this, the government officials or middlemen cheat the common man & demand bribe or excess charges for any public service. Reports reveal that the Kerala state has got less corruption compared to other states due to high literacy rate in the state. When people are educated & aware of various rules & processes, they are less likely to fall prey to corrupt practices of the public servants/political leaders. The Government should allocate sufficient budget for the development of Schools, Colleges, and Universities etc.
- Social Media
Social Media is fast changing the world and has a deep impact on the lives of the people in India. Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube can play an important role in educating the mass, particularly the young generation on various government processes, rules etc. which can ultimately help in reducing corruption. Since a large percentage of Indian population is young & we should take advantage of Internet, digitalized Television & Social Media to propagate awareness on various government procedures and such awareness can also help in reducing corruption.
- Government Process Reengineering
Time has come to do massive government process re-engineering. There are many Government processes which are redundant or which can be done in a far better way. The processes conceptualised some 30 years back are no longer valid or effective. With the rapid advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) during the last 2 decades, we should take advantages of these technologies & re-engineer various government processes for the benefit of the citizens.
- Reform in Judicial System
The rules framed during British Rule in India were not citizen-friendly. Those rules were intentionally framed to torture the public and suppress the opinion of the citizens. Now many such rules are still in force in India & such rules need to be changed at the earliest. Advancement in technology has also made many procedures obsolete. New Laws & simplified Governemnt-Citizen interaction procedures need to be enacted/implemented. New laws should be citizen-friendly and should aim at helping the citizens.
Large-scale corruption in the society is demoralizing the honest people. Some corrupt people think corruption is alright in this modern materialistic word. But, it is not. Corruption has led the common man to be very pessimist. We should be very optimistic and try our best in fighting against corruption. We should teach the children – the future of India- to be honest and ethical in every aspect of their life. No doubt, corruption is a huge challenge before us. Let us also appreciate that there are still enough good and honest people in our country. Each one of us should make commitment to work with honesty for God’s sake! All people in the society should be encouraged to live an honest & decent life”. Srihari Subudhi- New Delhi, India
Posted by Said Maalouf 
unpanelearning.wordpress.com 