The growing public dissatisfaction with corruption in public life triggered the emergence of a civil society movement that forced the government to initiate the establishment of a powerful People’s Ombudsman (the Jan Lok Pal), with the powers to prosecute corruption at even the highest levels of government. India’s ranking in the annual corruption index, released by Berlin-based non-government organization Transparency International (TI), slid to 81 among a group of 180 countries.
Recent Developments Corruption Perceptions Index and India
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018 The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (the "Act") was recently amended by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 (the "Amendment Act"). Most of the amendments are aimed at tightening up the existing provisions in the Act and expanding the coverage of the offences.
Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2018
CBI & Consent
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Causes of Corruption
According to a 2017 survey study, the following factors have been attributed as causes of corruption-
Level and Volume of Corruptions
Generally corruption is divided as Low level and High level-
Corruption can be classified on basis of its volume-
Preventing Corruption (Anti-Corruption Efforts)
The anti-corruption regime in India consists of a set of laws and agencies that have been introduced in a haphazard manner over the years and have been largely ineffective. Some of the important laws are-
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Methods of Corruption |
Bribery: Bribery involves the improper use of gifts and favours in exchange for personal gain. This is also known as kickbacks or, in the Middle East, as baksheesh. It is the common form of corruption. The personal gain that is given can be anything from actively giving preferential treatment to having an indiscretion or crime overlooked. |
Embezzlement, theft and fraud: Embezzlement and theft involve someone with access to funds or assets illegally taking control of them. Fraud involves using deception to convince the owner of funds or assets to give them up to an unauthorized party. |
Graft: The political act of Graft, is a well-known and now global form of political corruption, being the unscrupulous and illegal use of a politician’s authority for personal gain, when funds intended for public projects are intentionally misdirected in order to maximize the benefits to illegally private interests of the corrupted individual(s) and their cronies. |
Extortion and blackmail: While bribery is the use of positive inducements for corrupt aims, extortion and blackmail centre around the use of threats. This can be the threat of violence or false imprisonment as well as exposure of an individual’s secrets or prior crimes. |
Influence peddling: Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one’s influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. |
Networking: Networking can be an effective way for job-seekers to gain a competitive edge over others in the job-market. The idea is to cultivate personal relationships with prospective employers, selection panelists, and others, in the hope that these personal affections will influence future hiring decisions. This form of networking has been described as an attempt to corrupt formal hiring processes, where all candidates are given an equal opportunity to demonstrate their merits to selectors. |
Abuse of discretion: Abuse of discretion refers to the misuse of one’s powers and decision-making facilities. Examples include a judge improperly dismissing a criminal case or a customs official using their discretion to allow a banned substance through a port. |
Favoritism, Nepotism and Clientelism: Favouritism, nepotism and clientelism involve the favouring of not the perpetrator of corruption but someone related to them, such as a friend, family member or member of an association. |
Benami Property Act, 1988
Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003
Right to Information Act, 2005
Whistleblower Protection Act 2014
Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013
E-governance Initiatives
Citizen Charters and Public Service delivery and Grievance Redressal Acts in states
Investigating Institutions
There are various bodies in place for implementing anti-corruption policies and raising awareness on corruption issues. At the federal level as well as on the States level. Some of them are-