Corruption: A Part of Our Way of Life
"Corruption is not only about bribes. People are harmed when resources are wasted or when public officials are hired unethically." – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Corruption is often perceived as a deviation from the ideal, an aberration to be corrected. However, when it becomes systemic, entrenched, and normalized, it transcends rogue acts and starts to form the very fabric of society. In many societies, including India, corruption is no longer an exception; it is, regrettably, a routine feature of daily life – from the top echelons of power to the grassroots level. This disconcerting situation compels us to introspect: has corruption become a way of life for us?
The term "corruption" traditionally denotes dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. But in a broader sense, it implies decay — moral, social, institutional. It reflects a departure from integrity and order, a preference for short-term gains over long-term justice. When such erosion becomes habitual and culturally internalized, we must confront the dangerous possibility that the vice has metamorphosed into an unwritten norm. This essay probes the historic, socio-economic, political, ethical, and global dimensions of how corruption has seeped into our way of life and how we might still reclaim integrity, one institution at a time.
Historical and Cultural Perspective
India’s encounter with corruption is not new. Ancient Indian texts like the Arthashastra by Chanakya identified 40 different types of corruption in public administration. Even then, it was recognized that absolute integrity was difficult to achieve without institutional checks and balances. Over time, colonial practices such as the patronage system, combined with a lack of nationalist accountability, made corruption more structural.
Post-independence, the Nehruvian state's large bureaucracy and protectionist economic policies inadvertently created avenues for rent-seeking. The "license-permit-quota" system restricted access to essential goods and services, turning bureaucrats into power-brokers. Thus emerged a culture where speed-money, favoritism, and bribes became essential fuel for getting everyday things done—from securing a gas connection to gaining admission in schools.
In popular culture too, particularly in Bollywood and regional films, corruption is not just rampant—it is often glorified or treated with cynicism. The corrupt villain becomes a metaphor for a failed system, but the solutions proposed are often individual heroics rather than systemic reform, reflecting societal resignation.
Constitutional and Legal Framework
The Indian Constitution is anchored in ideals of integrity, transparency, and accountability. Article 311 outlines protections for civil servants against arbitrary dismissal, emphasizing fairness. Article 39 ensures distribution of material resources to serve the common good. However, despite a robust legal architecture—Prevention of Corruption Act (1988), Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (2013), Right to Information Act (2005), and Whistle Blowers Protection Act (2014)—enforcement remains weak.
The Supreme Court in Vineet Narain vs Union of India (1997) emphasized that the “CBI must be independent of political interference.” Yet, lack of autonomy of investigative bodies, obsolete laws, slow judicial processes, and the absence of conviction in high-profile cases showcase the gap between de jure ideals and de facto reality.
Economic Implications
Corruption acts as an invisible tax, distorting markets, and discouraging entrepreneurship. The World Bank estimates that corruption can reduce a country's GDP growth by 0.5% to 1%. In India, black money, crony capitalism, under-invoicing, and over-invoicing in contracts have widened income disparity. The recent Adverse Audit Reports by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) on coal allocations and telecom underscored the monumental financial hemorrhaging of public resources.
At the micro level, corruption affects ease of doing business and investor confidence. The NITI Aayog’s 3-Year Action Agenda emphasized on digitization and reducing discretionary powers to minimize corruption, thereby enhancing India’s global competitiveness.
Social Dimensions
When corruption seeps into public service delivery—PDS, health care, scholarships, MGNREGA wages—it disproportionately affects the poorest. It widens the trust deficit between citizens and the state, forcing people to depend on informal mechanisms like bribes to access their rightful entitlements.
Moreover, pervasive corruption erodes the collective ethical compass of a society. The normalization of the phrase "chai-paani" for bribes, or the belief that "without setting, nothing works," reflects how societal acceptance of corruption translates into moral apathy.
Political Dimensions
Electoral corruption—vote buying, misuse of state machinery, illicit campaign financing—has institutionalized corruption in our democratic framework. Despite the Model Code of Conduct, affidavits, and expenditure ceilings, money power remains dominant.
The opaque nature of electoral funding was partly addressed via Electoral Bonds, but critics argue it lacks transparency. Political patronage breeds "quid pro quo" appointments, perpetuating a vicious cycle of favoritism and inefficiency.
Ethical and Philosophical Angle
Corruption is ultimately a moral failure. Mahatma Gandhi considered corruption a "leprosy of modern civilization." Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of Constitutional morality emphasized that merely enacting good laws is insufficient unless citizens and office-bearers internalize ethical behavior.
Philosophically, corruption replaces merit with privilege, justice with bias, and truth with manipulation. When societal aspirations are defined not by ability but by access through corruption, the ethical foundation of a civilization is compromised.
Challenges and Criticisms
While digital measures like Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) have reduced leakages, new forms of digital corruption have emerged. Whistleblowers often face threats, with no robust witness protection program.
Moreover, anti-corruption efforts often focus on punitive steps rather than preventive and reformative strategies. Bureaucratic inertia, lack of incentives for honest officers, and judicial delays further dilute deterrence.
Case Studies: India and the World
The successful digitization of public services in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, resulting in reduced interface and bribe-seeking opportunities, demonstrate the role of tech in transparency.
Internationally, countries like Singapore and Sweden have shown how institutional integrity can be built through strong political intent, effective deterrents, and civic involvement. The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is an exemplary agency combining investigation with outreach education.
A Way Forward: Reclaiming Integrity
India must shift from reactive anti-corruption campaigns to building systems that incentivize ethics and efficiency. Key reforms include:
- Strengthening Lokpal and Lokayuktas with independent, well-funded mechanisms
- Implementing police reforms based on the Prakash Singh judgment (2006)
- Ensuring transparency in electoral financing
- Promoting public accountability via social audits and citizen charters
- Inculcating moral education and civic sense from school curricula
Conclusion
Corruption may seem like a part of our way of life, but fatalism must not override reform. As Swami Vivekananda once said, “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.” It is in our collective ethical will that lies the power to change institutions, reinvent civic culture, and make honesty not a risk but a norm.
When governance becomes transparent, accountability real, and citizens vigilant, corruption will no longer be embedded in our way of life—it will be an exception rather than the rule. The struggle is long, but not insurmountable. The path to integrity begins with zero tolerance, sustained reforms, and a moral reconstruction of public life.
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