Corruption is still a major problem in India. According to global watchdog Transparency International's annual report released earlier this year, India showed improvement in corruption and moved up at 76th position out of 168 countries in the list.
Having stormed to power with a thumping majority on the plank of development and anti-corruption, the latest figures released by the government on the floor of the House do raise a question mark on its tall claims.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has received over 40,000 complaints of alleged corruption so far this year, a rise of about 8,300 over the number of complaints the watchdog got last year.
The anti-corruption body has received 40,517 complaints between January and June this year as against 32,149 received during the last year. The Commission had received 64,410 and 35,332 complaints in 2014 and 2013.
The figure released by the government also appear to contradict Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often takes the opportunity to count the government’s efforts in containing corruption in the two years of the government’s regime at the Centre.
Before the Lok Sabha polls in May 2014, Prime Minister Modi had vowed to root out corruption in India and his famous words ‘na khaunga, na khane dunga’ (neither will I take bribe, nor will I allow anyone to take bribe) had made it to the headlines. His anti-corruption plank had also helped the BJP to storm to power on its own.
But there is a flip side to it as well. The numbers released today don’t necessarily indicate a rise in corruption in the country. Instead, it also indicates that the government has managed to instil a sense of confidence among people who now have the courage to approach the concerned authorities to report about their seniors or peers.
With PTI Inputs
