POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN INDIA ESSAY

India since independence has had a long tryst with political corruption. While no country in the world is immune to the plague of corruption, for a developing country like India the menace of corruption poses serious challenges to overall development and prosperity. Corruption eats away at the fabric of democratic processes, weakens institutions and rule of law, and deprives citizens of their basic rights and services. It also dent national progress and allocation of national resources. While significant strides have been made in the past few decades to strengthen democratic and institutional framework in India, corruption still remains a huge obstacle.

The various forms and manifestations of corruption in Indian politics are wide-ranging - from bribery and nepotism during election campaigns and governmental decision making, large scale electoral malpractices, misuse of public office for private gains, quid-pro-quo between politicians and businessmen, to deep criminal-political nexus. Money power, muscle power and manipulation of public institutions have become common phenomena. Corruption is so deeply entrenched that ordinary citizens have to often pay bribes for basic services like obtaining ration cards, birth certificates, electricity connections etc. The lower bureaucracy and police are known to routinely demand bribes for carrying out their official duties. Huge corruption scandals involving billions of dollars in losses to the public exchequer have also been quite frequent in areas like defense deals, telecom licenses, coal block allocations.

There are several causal factors responsible for the high incidence and levels of corruption in Indian politics. Firstly, the electoral system of 'first-past-the-post' used in India incentivizes politicians to amass huge election expenditure which they often recover through illicit means once elected. Costs of election campaigns have increased exponentially over the years. The need to accumulate funds through mostly opaque channels fuels corruption. Secondly, the nexus between politics and business has grown over the decades which facilitates corruption as quid pro quo deals take place. Lack of transparency in political funding only makes this problems worse. Thirdly, the long tenure of political dynasties in power, especially at the state level, has concentrated political authority without adequate accountability. This breeds massive corruption. Fourthly, the ability of politicians to influence decisions of law enforcement and investigative agencies, combined with sluggish justice system, allows corruption to flourish with little deterrence or consequences. Fifthly, archaic rules and voluminous procedures in government functioning provide scope for bureaucratic discretion which often gets abused.

The massive scale of corruption has seriously undermined India's economic and social progress. It diverts national wealth away for well-being of people. Public fund siphoned off through corruption are never invested in building healthcare infrastructure, schools, colleges, roads, ports etc. This increases the costs of governance. Corruption also distorts economic decision making as rent-seeking becomes more important than productivity. It discourages private investments both domestic and foreign. Valuable national resources are cornered by few rather than being utilized for common good. Corruption in public service delivery weakens state capacity. It particularly hurts poor and marginalized sections the most. Growing corruption perception is also damaging India's image and competitiveness in global arena.

Various measures have been taken by successive governments over the years to curb the menace of corruption. Key institutions created are Central Vigilance Commission, Central Bureau of Investigation, Lokpal and Lokayuktas. The Right to Information Act was a breakthrough anti-corruption legislation. Tougher anti-corruption laws and Whistle Blowers Act have also been passed. But the results have been mixed so far. Weakening of independent watchdogs for political reasons, long delays in criminal investigations and prosecutions, inadequate safeguards to protect whistleblowers continue to be problems. Political will to act against own corrupt members is often missing. Administrative and electoral reforms necessary to cleanse the system have not been fully carried out. Therefore, the challenge of reducing corruption to acceptable levels still remains far from over in India.

Going forward, several radical steps need to be taken. Firstly, comprehensive political financing reforms with state funding of elections, stricter disclosure norms and expenditure limits are must. Dynastic hold on power should be curbed. Electoral reforms with 'positive voting' must be introduced. Institutions like CBI, CVC need constitutional protection and financial autonomy. Speedy investigation and prosecution has to be ensured through police, judicial and governance reforms. Whistleblowers protection law should be strengthened. More empowerment of citizens with social audits is needed. Administrative measures such as Direct Benefit Transfers aim to reduce human interface which aids corruption must be universalized. Zero tolerance against corruption should be displayed by all stakeholders. Only a holistic multi-pronged strategy with clean politics, robust institutions and active civic participation can make a real dent on the deep-rooted problem of corruption affecting India.

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