Day 35 – Q 3.Can transparency alone address the challenge of corruption? Critically analyse.
3. Can transparency alone address the challenge of corruption? Critically analyse.
क्या अकेले पारदर्शिता भ्रष्टाचार की चुनौती को संबोधित कर सकती है? समालोचनात्मक विश्लेषण करें।
INTRODUCTION
Corruption is an abuse of public resources or position in public life for private gain. It is said that Corruption breeds in system of opaqueness and secrecy Second Administrative Reform commission considered Transparency as key to good governance which ensures probity, openness and accountability in public service.
BODY
The scope for Corruption increases when control on public administrators is fragile and the division of powers between political, executive and bureaucracy is ambiguous. Corruption is anti-poor, it undermines the security of the country, increases inflation & reduces efficiency of a country. It not only poses a danger on the quality of the governance, but it is threatening the very foundations of our society and the state due to the following issues associated with corruption.
Issues related to Corruption are –
- Red tapism
- Fraud
- Nepotism
- Favoritism
- Extortion
- Crony Capitalism
- Rent Seeking behavior
- Black Money, Money Laundering etc
Transparency alone can never be the solution of corruption. However, it helps in reducing corruption in the following ways-
- Help in Setting Accountability – due to increased information awareness. e.g.- RTI has been able to improve accountability
- Provide check towards a Corrupt Act –
- It helps in creating institutional checks and balances
- Through transparency, the administration enables openness as behavior approach for functioning of governance.
- Transparency, creates a system of confidence and trust.
- It increases the administrative and managerial efficiency.
- It increases democracy and credibility in the system.
- Helps in Social welfare – reduces poverty, inequality gap and promote egalitarian society. eg- Disha App and my gov.
- Lack of Transparency creates opaqueness in decision making which lack objectivity, eg – Bofors scam in defense.
However, Corruption in India is a multi-dimensional concept, it can not only be eradicated by ensuring or increasing Transparency in administration, but it needs to be tackled by multiple methods, such as-
- Transparency can only change things systematically, but can’t change a person’s attitude.
- It can’t be ensured at all levels of public interactions
- Many people would not understand the extent of using it to their benefit.
- Degraded ethical standards and values such as integrity, compassion, empathy- cannot be be answered with just transparency.
- Corruption in India has got social recognition and acceptance.
- Corruption in India is more structural than behavioral.
- Without comprehensive reform measure, transparency is measured only in letter but not in spirit.
- The system of Nepotism, Favoritism must be tackled along with promoting transparency.
- Transparency without accountability will give a free space to corrupt people.
Therefore, other aspects are also necessary to achieve a-Corruption free India, such as –
- Independent and honest investigating agencies.
- Accountability and answer ability of all individuals- be it Politicians, bureaucrats, judiciary etc.
- Proactive civil society.
- Simplification of Procedures.
- Judicious incentive structure.
- Reviewing outcomes through monitoring.
- Effective Oversight mechanism
CONCLUSION
Thus, lack of Transparency creates opportunities for public officials to abuse their office for private gains, this closely relates to weak accountability and tend to facilitate corruption. Hence, transparency is pivotal to rule out the menace of Corruption, but it only a single panacea but should go hand in hand with other measures such as accountability, institutional structure to fight corruption, strict rules & implementation, behavioral change etc.
BEST ANSWER : GOG
