Corruption: is a Dishonest Practice or Act

Corruption is a dishonest practice or act. Corruption is abuse of acquired power for personal gain. Corruption undermines trust, undermines democracy, hinders economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social stratification and environmental problems. Corruption typically takes the form of supply vs. demand, large vs. small, traditional vs. nontraditional, and public vs. private.

It can also take the form of bribery, personal favors, influence, illegal sales, tax evasion, nepotism, illicit sex, kickbacks and patronage. Corruption seriously undermines good governance, values and public trust. Corruption is a serious problem in the society we live in. Now it has spread its influence in all areas. From government to business and our entire daily life is corrupt.

This corruption manifests itself in many forms. From bribery to extortion, from extortion to fraud, it is rampant today. Institutions are collapsing and above all the people are not trusting anyone. The extent of corruption is widespread today and it has greatly reduced the social, economic and structural development of the nation.

This affects the society negatively, we as honest citizens should deal with it and solve the corruption problem for the good of the society. We will see that corruption does not lead to inefficiency, injustice and lack of resources, does not hinder the development of the nation in political and administrative spheres.

The fundamental rights of people such as right to equality, right to liberty, right to equal opportunity and right to essential health and education shall not be forcibly taken away.

There are different ways to commit corruption. Such as bribery, embezzlement, illegal sale of goods, tax evasion, nepotism and patronage etc. A person in office takes or asks for a bribe to do a favor or to do something. Sometimes he forces a person to pay a bribe. Money given to a person to spend in the public interest and property intended for them, which he unlawfully acquires for himself, is called usurpation.

It is illegal to sell public property for personal gain by abusing one’s position or power. Employing one’s own people by exercise of one’s position or power is patronage, but loyalty is the qualification of one’s own people. If he pleases and he wants to let one go up and if he doesn’t please he can bring one down. This type of corruption is not only seen in society.

There are other types of corruption, such as sexual favors, coercion, bribery, taking things for free or for little money, and getting things done by unethical means. Corruption has many causes. Some of the main reasons are given below. Lack of transparency and accountability is a major factor. When there is a lack of transparency and accountability in a relationship, it opens up opportunities for corruption.

For example, if there is no clarity for the use of resources in an organization or organization, then the officials assigned to it may misuse those resources.

The second main reason is the lack of checks and balances. There is a substantial need to prevent abuse of power. If this is not complete or insufficient, then there must be corruption in an organization. Greed is a major cause of corruption. Greed knows no bounds. An example of greed is today’s free culture when people are greedy and prone to corrupt practices to get what they want.

A vision of greed for free things without work. In return for free material, they help create votebanks. Lack of ethical values is another reason for corruption. Corruption occurs when there are no strong moral values. Moral values inculcate a sense of right and wrong in people and motivate them not to act unethically or illegally.

The pervasiveness and acceptance of corruption in Indian society clearly attests to its vast prevalence. Corruption has become a way of life today. Fewer people are speaking out and fighting against corruption these days than ever before. However, there is a need to prevent this. It has many side effects. Without this, the progress of the country, nation or society is not possible and there will be no social and political stability.

It will stagnate the economy, reduce productivity and line the pockets of corrupt officials. This will significantly reduce productivity and growth and discourage foreign investment. And since firms have to pay bribes to get contracts and regulatory approvals, this increases their costs of doing business. As a result, the prices of various commodities increase and the purchasing power of the villagers decreases. Financial corruption and other forms of corruption undermine social stability.

People’s trust in government and various institutions decreases. Chaos and violence arise in the society. This encourages people to commit crimes and allows criminal groups to flourish. This leads to political instability and undermines people’s faith in democracy. Ultimately, it creates a mentality of authoritarianism and revolution.

So how can corruption be prevented? There is no any simple answer to explain this question. But there are some ways to eliminate or reduce it. Transparency and accountability is one way to stop this. That is why public officials have to declare their assets and income. There must be fair procedures for investigating allegations of corruption.

Another way to reduce corruption is to reform and improve governance, increase its capacity and establish coordination between different institutions. All forms of governance should be systematic, so that no individual or group has too much power.

Finally it can be said that both individual and collective efforts are needed to prevent this. That’s why government, business and various groups of civil society and others work together, then real progress of a country or nation can happen.