Good morning

My topic for this speech is Corruption in India.

//Intro

There is a revolution in India.

Individual by individual, an anti-corruption wave is growing within Indian civil society. In years,
people from all sectors of Indian society have said ‘enough is enough’ and, each in their own way,
are doing something about it. Some are taking to the streets, others are online, some are using the
courts, others have turned to the media. The swelling wave has already washed away government
ministers like former Bihar state chief minister lalu Prasad and is lapping at the ankles of some of the
country’s biggest players most notably Jaylalitha and the AIDMK in TN

//end intro

In our country, the gap between the haves and have-nots is so huge that it becomes a clear example
of corruption in our country where one section of society acquires richness and wealth and on the
other hand the majority of the masses remain below the poverty line.

So What is the orgin of corruption in India. What is the root causes of this cancer which has
stemmed our growth for decades?

The reason why corruption has prevailed for as long as it has boils down to three reasons:

1. Public sector pay and powers

2. The tax collecting system
3. Campaign financing
 When the British took over large sections of what is now India from the East
India Company, the British put in place a system that ensured that British
officials posted to India would be very well paid , but punished if they accepted
bribes or engaged in corrupt activities.

When India gained Independence in 1947, Prime Minister Nehru retained the
extensive powers of the British colonial administration — including laws that
gave officials the right to intervene in almost any aspect of daily life. However,
at the same time, he also dramatically reduced salaries in the public sector.

The result was a system in which an enormous number of poorly paid public
employees had wide-ranging opportunities to ‘make a bit on the side’ through
administrative coercion. It was almost inevitable that corruption would start to
infect the system.

Similarly, the Indian legal system is staffed by underpaid law clerks,

prosecutors and lawyers, and moves at the lethargic, erratic pace of a
drunken slug. Wealthy accused can give bribes for bail or for stay orders that
can last for decades or a lifetime, if necessary. As a result, the Indian legal
system is a weak deterrent to crime.

In India, the situation grew even worse with Nehru’s introduction of a tax
scheme designed in large part by Hungarian Nicholas Kaldor. By the 1970s,
the highest earners were required to pay 93.5 percent in tax. And, in some
cases, the combined wealth and income taxes exceeded actual income. In
many cases, it was simply not possible to survive if you paid the tax that was
legally required. Combine this with the enormous discretionary powers of the
tax collectors and, again, it was inevitable that tax evasion through corruption
began on a massive scale.

If we are a responsible citizen of our country, we should understand that this corruption is eating into
our nation’s economical growth like a termite and is giving rise to crime in our society. If the majority
section of our society will continue to live in deprivation and poverty and will not find any employment
opportunity, the crime rate will never come down. Poverty will destroy people’s ethics and morals
and would result in an increase in hatred amongst the people. It is high time for us to address this
issue and fight it in order to pave way for the holistic growth of our country.

The parliament should pass strict laws against the anti-social elements of our society, regardless of
the fact that whether such people are within the political system of our country or outside it. There
should be an equal treatment for all.

If one were to think and evaluate the causes behind corruption, then it could be countless. However,
the most glaring reason responsible for the vicious spread of corruption, I believe, is the people’s
non-serious attitude towards the governmental rules and laws and the sheer inertia of government
towards those who spread evil in society. It appears that the ones who are employed to put an end
to corruption have themselves become complicit in the crime and are encouraging it. Though there
are various strict laws like the Prevention of money Laundering Act; Indian Penal Code of 1860 and
the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; to name a few, but there is no serious implementation of
these laws.

Yet another important reason behind corruption is the non-transparency of bureaucratic and
governmental functions. In particular, the institutions that are run under the government show moral
laxity and brush under the carpet serious issues. The money that should be used for the upliftment
of poor people is gobbled up by the politicians themselves. Even worse, the people who are not
affluent and cannot bribe the people in power are not able to get their work done and hence their
files are fated to meet the dust instead of stimulating action. Clearly, any growing economy would
come falling down when corrupt officials hold the reign of a country.

The situation has become very tense and unless the general public takes proactive measures and
becomes vigilant, the corruption cannot be uprooted from our society. So come let’s join hands and
fight against corruption.

Thank You!