Corruption: The Cancer of Society

After years of independence, corruption is the evil that still prevails in Indian society. Corruption is cancer in our modern society that needs to be fought on. It's a malady that has taken its roots in the minds of evil people. 

In today's world, politicians make policy for their benefit and not in the national interest. Today humanity is being moralized and social values are going down. Corruption is spreading its power because of the decline in trust and honesty. Society is turned mercenary and materialistic. People have become impatient, they want their work to be done at the earliest and hence pay for it, indulging themselves in the ill deed.

India scores 40/100 and ranks 85/180 in CPI (Corruption Perceptions Index), on a scale where the lowest-ranked countries are perceived to have the most honest public sector. Corruption in India is an issue that affects the economy of central, state, and local government agencies in many ways. Corruption is blamed for stunting the economy of India. Various factors contribute to corruption, including officials siphoning money from government social welfare schemes. Examples include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the National Rural Health Mission. Other areas of corruption include India's trucking industry which is forced to pay billions of rupees in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on interstate highways.

In July 2021, India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) replied to Right To Information (RTI) requests stating undeclared assets of Rs 20,078 crore identified by them in India and abroad following the investigation till June 2021. The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated tax and licensing systems, numerous government departments with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly of government-controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes

The first tool to bring down corruption in education. An increase in literacy rates will diminish corruption. There's a need to bring change in the government process, making them more transparent to the people. Corruption can also be reduced by making the government answerable to the governed. Prevention of Corruption Act should be properly implemented and strictly reinforced. Stringent measures should be taken to tackle corruption before it hinders development.