Corruption Free India for a Developed Nation

“I won’t allow anyone to walk through my mind with their dirty feet” – Mahatma
Gandhi
Corruption can be defined as dishonest and fraudulent conduct by those in power,
especially involving money. To elaborate, it is the misuse of power or money to obtain
resources or services through illegal means. It is one of the most debated topics in the
society as it has widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Corruption leads to
concentration of resources in the hands of the rich and powerful, leaving the poor
hopeless and helpless. The advent of industrialisation and urbanization has led to the
outbreak in mass production causing concentration of power in hands of few, leading to
exploitation of the masses. The wide range of corruption, from cases of petty bribery to
large mega scams have degraded our resources and made India one of the most corrupt
nations today.
It has been a long-standing problem that successive Governments have battled and
mostly failed to quell. In his magnum opus ‘Arthashastra’, written nearly three centuries
before the Christian era, Kautilya, the classical master of statecraft, observed: “Just as it
is impossible to know when a fish moving in water is drinking it, so it is
impossible to find out when Government servants in charge of undertakings
misappropriate money.” Corruption has become a matter of concern because of its
negative consequences. Corruption is anti-poor. In a country where 26% of the
population is below the poverty line, corruption hits the poor very badly. The need of
the hour is to believe that even a country like India can be free from the perennial trap
of corruption and move ahead.
How Corruption leads to Losses for the Nation as a whole
“Out of one rupee spent by the government for welfare of the downtrodden, only
15 paisa thereof actually reaches those persons for whom it is meant” – Rajiv
Gandhi, Former PM
The single statement delivered by Our Ex PM is strong enough to make us understand
what could have been the reason for the slow growth of our country and the economic
disparities and deprivations which we see in our country.
Corruption distorts incentives and market forces, leading to the misallocation of
resources.
Corruption acts as an inefficient tax on business, ultimately raising production costs and
reducing the profitability of investments.
Corruption may also decrease the productivity of investments by reducing the quality of
resources. For example, by undermining the quality and quantity of health and
education services, corruption decreases a country’s human capital. Rent-seeking
behaviour is also likely to create inefficiencies, fuelling waste of resources and
undermining the efficiency of public expenditure.
Corruption undermines a country’s tax structure and its revenue collection capacity,
affects firms’ growth, productivity, investment patterns, and efficiency. 
If corruption levels in India were decreased to levels in developed economies such as
Singapore or the United Kingdom, India's GDP growth rate could increase at a higher
rate annually. C. K. Prahalad, the famous economist estimates the loss of opportunity
caused by corruption in terms of investment, growth and jobs for India is over US$50
billion a year.
Conclusion

“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly
feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the
father, the mother and the teacher” – Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam

Preventing corruption unlocks progress towards the Sustainable Development

Goals, helps protect our planet, creates jobs, achieves gender equality, and secures
wider access to essential services such as healthcare and education, removes the
economic inequalities and better allocation of resources.

Our country needs to urgently modernise its institutions and end the culture of rent-
seeking and cutting corners if it wants the wheel of its economy to roll seamlessly.
Corruption is both anti-national and anti-poor because the resources meant for
poverty alleviation schemes get siphoned off by dishonest politicians and bureaucrats. It
is among the most debilitating economic illnesses that afflict large parts of the world.
Corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be got rid of.
Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this
national objective.