D P KOHLI MEMORIAL LECURE - 2001

The only solace I had was when I read a news-item that a society called Transparency International conducted a study of corruption level in various countries of the world. They found India as the 10^th highest corrupt country in the world. Why I felt it as a solace is, because there are nine other countries in the world, which are more corrupt than India. I thought then about the lamentable situation of those other countries because I myself was lamenting about my own country’s pitiable position.

When we speak about corruption we immediately see the bribe-receiving public servant. Prevention of Corruption Act deals only with such persons and perhaps those who associate with them also. Our problems with corruption are even more deep-rooted than what the Prevention of Corruption Act could check them all around. You can start from the beginning. Every child is trained up to believe that payment of money is necessary even to please the gods and that God would shower favors on receipt of such money. When your child is to appear before the examination, first you take him to places of worship and ask him to pay money to gods for the success in the examination. Your inner mind gets convinced when you pass the examination that you succeeded in making the gods happy with what you paid to them. If you did not pass the examination on that occasion you may pay more to the gods on the next occasion and if you succeed, then you will be convinced that the amount paid on the previous occasion was not satisfactory to the gods.

When you grow older and try to get admission in higher classes those who run educational institutions would demand you to pay them amounts under unlisted items by calling them donations. Such payment of donations has now become a condition precedent for getting admission in educational institutions. Donation earlier had an inherent attribute. It was paid voluntarily for a good cause and without anything in return. Now donation is another word for bribery in the field of educational institutions. It is actually the purchase price of admission.