Chapter 11: Politics of Corruption

Fighters for freedom for their oppressed peoples had become plunderers of their wealth. Their societies slid backwards.

--Lee Kuan Yew

Corruption has made many governments to fall. Almost every Government in India which fell between 1989 to 2014 had issue of corruption involved in it. 2019 was the only election where issue of corruption did not succeed.

Watchman is a thief

The election campaign of the main Opposition Party i.e. Congress Party in 2019 was simple. It started with a slogan "Narendra Modi is a thief." The theft was claimed to be made in purchase of French Combat aircraft Rafale. The Plan failed miserably. Congress President lost his own seat from Amethi and had to seek help of an ally in south India to be elected from Wayanad in Kerala. This is a state where ruling party BJP is barely existent.

In the past similar campaigns have worked very successfully. Let's revisit past in a time machine.

In 1986, the Government of India and Bofors signed a US$ 285 million contract for the supply of 410 (155 mm) field howitzers. In 1987, Swedish Radio alleged that Bofors paid illegal commissions of Rs. 60 crores to top Indian politicians, members of the Congress party and key defence officials to seal the deal. Prime Minister was Rajiv Gandhi. It is said that one of Rajiv's Minister namely V.P. Singh had reached dangerously close to the investigation of Bofors kickbacks. He was dismissed from Government on 12th April 1987 by Rajiv. In retaliation he resigned from Congress Party. By now he was already a house hold name as a leader who stood against corruption. He formed a Jan Morcha with other dissidents like Arif Mohammad and Arun Nehru.

In next election, Rajiv was challengedby V.P. Singh who, during entire campaign raised the issue of political corruption. Often mentioning that he would send all corrupt people involved in Bofors scam, to prison, once he came to power. He did come to power but guilty were never brought to book. The election rhetoric remained rhetoric. But he left behind a template to successfully target a Government in power. Rafale was boilerplate copy of Bofors campaign minus money trail. But in future more innovations were to be added.

Media

The disease of corruption has left no sector untouched. Integrity is is affecting the media as well and a pattern is discerning which reflect that the issue of corruption being an emotional issue, it is raked up around the elections only to make a political score. The pliant media provides the needed platform for the same. Lee Kuan Yew expressedthe problem as under:

"...Western liberals have argued that a completely unfettered press will expose corruption and make for clean, honest government. Yet uninhibited and freewheeling press and television in India, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan have not stopped the pervasive and deeply embedded corruption in these countries, while the most telling example of a free media being part and parcel of its owner's corruption is former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He owns a large media network but was himself investigated and charged for corrupt practices committed before he became prime minister..."

Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew: From Third World To First The Singapore Story: 1965–2000.

Tehlka means Sensation. What an honest name? It was an Indian news magazine known for its investigative journalism and sting operations. It was founded by Tarun Tejpal and Aniruddha Bahal in 2000 as a website. It began circulating tabloid-format newspapers in 2004 and switched to magazine in 2007. Both the founders were earlier working in Outlook Magazine.

In India there is a tradition that if some one gives money, the payee is not supposed to refuse as money is a facet of, if not an incarnation of Goddess Laxmi. It has become a logic to be corrupt. Logic is that I did not ask but if some one gives money, how can I refuse. This attitude had to change after events of 2001.

In 2001 two reporters of Tehlka posing as arms dealers' company called West End went around meeting various officials in the government including then President of BJP, Bangaru Laxman. The selection of name West End, itself was comic as it is partly the name of a an old and famous apparel Shop in Karol Bagh, New Delhi. Yet no party noticed the comedy.

At all the places the West End representatives expressed desire to supply arms to Government and offered cash payment as 'Salami' or salute money. That is another practice prevalent in India. There was no commitment or promise on the part of payee but they accepted money as if it was rightfully theirs. Entire episode was recorded on a sting camera. The expose later made by Tehlka shook the world. Many heads rolled. Trial and convictions took place.

Eventually it terribly affected the image of BJP which had won and formed the government on the plank that it was a party with a difference. For next ten years BJP was condemned to opposition benches. The Guardian newspaper salivated on the news of this scandal in these words:

"…..Tehelka's first success was to catch cricketers and officials taking bribes. Its second success was even more sensational, even though it was entirely based on a kind of hoax. For eight months, two Tehelka reporters worked on an elaborate sting, involving hidden cameras, whisky parties, and prostitutes. They approached the then president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bangaru Laxman, as representatives of a fictitious arms company called West End. Laxman was offered a "new year party gift" in exchange for putting an arms deal their way. It was not a large sum: about £1,500-worth in dollars or rupees. Laxman, a practical man, chose US dollars.

To further smooth their pretended enterprise, the "men from West End" entertained Indian army officers and defence ministry officials who took to the Royal Stag whisky and the girls provided with gusto. These sponsored parties, as well as Laxman counting out his cash, were recorded on camera. The material, hotter than any Hindi gangster picture, was distributed last March to television stations all over India. Laxman had to resign, and so did George Fernandes, the defence minister….."

See the link to Guardian Newspaper here.

In 2007,again Tehelka released footage showing several BJP politicians admitting they had a role in attacking the Muslim community during the 2002 Gujarat violence. The report had factual inaccuracies when compared with official records concerning the location of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi and a police superintendent. However it's report on TV alleged that the violence was possible because of approval by the state police, as well as the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi. But the SIT constituted by Supreme Court found no evidence to link Modi with allegations and he was exonerated by Supreme Court. But that came later. The elections of 2009 happened earlier and BJP lost again. There was another vote for cash scam too in 2008 which was also covered by Tehalka and that too helped in elections.

In 2013 State of Goa had BJP Government. In November 2013, six months before elections were announced, Tarun Tejpal stepped down as editor after a female colleague accused him of sexual assault in Goa. Incident was corroborated with a video footage. He was arrested on 30 November 2013 and was released on bail on 1 July 2014, well after the elections were long over. Was this a preventive action, message or just co-incidence? It is hard to tell.

When allegations of corruption become political tool in election campaign, it becomes a hot potato, which is difficult to handle. The elaborate design of protecting the public servant from prosecution also help politicians from prosecution. It hardly distinguish between false allegations and truthful allegations. Worst is when media choose its outrage in a selective manner.

In 1994, two Russian journalists in their book claimed that a letter signed by Viktor Chebrikov, who replaced Andropov as the KGB head in 1982 had noted:

"...the USSR KGB maintains contact with the son of the Premier Minister Rajiv Gandhi [of India] ... R Gandhi expresses deep gratitude for the benefits accruing to the Prime Minister's family from the commercial dealings of the firm he controls in co-operation with the Soviet foreign trade organisations. R Gandhi reports confidentially that a substantial portion of the funds obtained through this channel are used to support the party of R Gandhi."

See: Albats, Yevgenia; Fitzpatrick, Catherine (1999) [1994]. The State Within a State: The KGB and its Hold on Russia-Past, Present, and Future. London, United Kingdom: Macmillan. p. 223. ISBN 9780374527389.

A user has uploaded the relevant page of the book here.

No member of press, including the three journalists who were awarded Padma Shri by Government in 2008-9 have asked any question about this allegation of bribe payments by KGB from any member of the family of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. A denial from family could have cleared the air. But journalist chose to ignore the issue altogether.

No wonder that many independent journalists have launched their paid youtube channels which analyse the events live and those who pay get to ask questions on live show. These channels have subscriber base from 50,000 to 7,50,000 and the number is rising. This phenomenon puts aquestion mark on the credibility of TV news channels and void of independence of those channels. This storm of social media may become tsunami which may completely wash away the propaganda media.

The position did not change after 2014 when Congress Party lost and BJP came into power riding on allegations of corruption in the Government. James Crabtree has summed up the 2G scam as under:

"...Singh's government planned to hand out valuable telecoms spectrum licenses using a murky "first come, first served" system, rather than an open auction. On January 10, 2008, the telecoms department summoned bidders to its office in New Delhi, at just a few hours' notice. "Fifteen applicants assembled at the appointed time, armed with bankers' cheques, bank guarantees, and the relevant papers—preparations that would normally have taken days," as one account put it. "It was clear that the favoured few had been tipped off." Chaotic scenes ensued, as executives rushed to fill forms and dashed from room to room. By day'send, more than one hundred licenses had been handed to eight companies in a deal that would besmirch India's reputation for years to come. Details began to dribble out bit by bit, revealing a story that seemed to have everything, from shell companies fronting for major industrial houses to leaked salacious calls between lobbyists and tycoons. Behind it all stood telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja, a colorful politician from the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

It was only when Rai published his 2010 report that the scale of the alleged telecoms scandal became clear, costing the state Rs1.8 trillion ($26 billion) in lost revenues, the auditor claimed, at least when compared to what might have been raised had the license been auctioned.27 A criminal investigation put Raja behind bars pending trial in 2011, while the Supreme Court cancelled all 122 licenses one year later.28 Various telecoms executives were imprisoned for a time too…..The 2G scandal, by contrast, appeared to involve the payment of bribes to acquire licenses, as well as smaller firms acting as fronts for larger conglomerates. However, those caught up in the scandal consistently denied they had done anything wrong, and claimed vindication in late 2017 when a special court set up to bring prosecutions in the case cleared Raja and a host of others, including representatives from various companies involved. The judge's ruling followed a seven-year investigation, and harshly criticized prosecutors for failing to provide enough evidence to justify a conviction….."

The Billionaire Raj: A Journey through India's Gilded Age by James Crabtree (2018)Penguin Random House, New York.

The aforesaid 2G scam is only one of many scams. There was Common Wealth Games scam, Coal Scam and many more scams during the ten year tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Six years down the line but none has been punished so far. The appeal against order of acquittal in 2 G scam is pending. The prosecution in other scams is yet to conclude. The accused claim that all these cases are politically motivated inspite of the fact that in most of the cases the contracts awarded were struck down by courts as arbitrary.

In all the aforesaid matters in which contracts/licences were cancelled, those contracts/licences were reallotted in a transparent manner by way of online bidding. However, for the reasons best known, no law has been put in place streamlining the procedure for allotment of Government largesse. The discretions have not been officially given up as yet as a policy.

In the run up to the elections of 2019, a newspaper published official noting in a file relating to purchase of 'Rafale' aircrafts and it was touted as piece of evidence of corruption. An issue which earlier rejected by Supreme Court, was sought to be reopened by a review petition.

However in respect of the legal value of noting on files, the judicial verdict in earlier cases was already out. It was observed in 2009 itself:

"It is trite to state that noting in a departmental file do not have the sanction of law to be an effective order. A noting by an officer is an expression of his viewpoint on the subject. It is no more than an opinion by an officer for internal use and consideration of the other officials of the department and for the benefit of the final decision-making authority. Needless to add that internal noting are not meant for outside exposure. Noting in the file culminate into an executable order, affecting the rights of the parties, only when it reaches the final decision-making authority in the department, gets his approval and the final order is communicated to the person concerned..."

Sethi Auto Service Station and another v. Delhi Development Authority, (2009) 1 SCC 180.

It was again so reiterated in 2010 as under:

"…...In a democratic polity like ours, the functions of the Government are carried out by different individuals at different levels. The issues and policy matters which are required to be decided by the Government are dealt with by several functionaries some of whom may record noting on the files favouring a particular person or group of persons. Someone may suggest a particular line of action, which may not be conducive to public interest and others may suggest adoption of a different mode in larger public interest. However, the final decision is required to be taken by the designated authority keeping in view the larger public interest. The notings recorded in the files cannot be made basis for recording a finding that the ultimate decision taken by the Government is tainted by mala fides or is influenced by extraneous considerations……"

Jasbir Singh Chhabra v. State of Punjab, (2010) 4 SCC 192.

Relying upon above decisions, The Hon'ble Chief Justice before whom 'Rafale' matter was raised, had held in another case in 2016 itself (as a learned judge of Supreme Court), that unless final decision is taken, no relief can be sought on the basis of the noting on file. He observed:

"..Having gone through the copy of note-sheets relating to sanction in question placed before us as part of rejoinder affidavit, it is evident that there had been proper application of mind on the part of the competent authority before the sanction was accorded. Our perusal of the said record does not indicate that any decision was taken by the competent authority, at any point of time, not to grant sanction so as to give the decision to grant sanction the colour of a review of any such earlier order, as has been contended before us. The opinion of CVC, which was reaffirmed and ultimately prevailed in according the sanction, cannot be said to be irrelevant for the reason that clause (g) of Section 8 of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 provides that it is one of the functions of the CVC to tender advice to the Central Government on such matters as may be referred to it by the Government..."

Vivek Batra vs U.O.I, decided by SC on 18 October, 2016.

In the aforesaid case the petitioner had challenged the order granting sanction for prosecution under PC Act on the ground that there were some noting on the files suggesting that criminal prosecution was not warranted and a mere warning would suffice. The court rejected the argument.

The review petition in Rafale matter, was however dismissed without reference to aforesaid cases. The timing of the Review gives it an election angle.

As regards the false accusations against politicians, Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore disclosed following strategy:

"... One imperative is to confront directly those who accuse me of corruption or misusing the power of my office. I have always met head-on all such allegations. At election time in many developing countries, allegations of bribery and corruption are standard fare and are never confronted for fear of greater damage if the minister who sues cannot stand up to cross-examination in court. I proceed only after taking the opinions of counsel both in Singapore and in London because, should my action fail, I have personally to carry the heavy costs: my own lawyers' and those of my opponents. On the other hand, I have never been sued for defamation because I have not made any false defamatory statements. When I said something disparaging about my opponents, I had ample evidence to back my statements and my opponents knew that.

Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew: From Third World To First The Singapore Story: 1965–2000.

The above approach may not work in India with it's snail pace justice delivery system. But again that is a problem which the Government of the day has to work on.

But there is serious lacunae in Political system. That is lack of Inner Party Democracy. Parties must not be run like proprietorship business. We will look into election system and it's regulator called Election Commission of India in next Chapter.

Administrative Discretion

Rule of law means same rights and liabilities for all citizens. By recognizing fundamental rights in the Constitution the broad boundaries of these rights have been defined. To ensure rule of law the element of discretion in implementation of law has to be minimal. The discretion is an exception to the rule.

When something as basic as electricity or water connection requires compliance of impossible rules or difficult conditions, which can be waived by an officer, it becomes breeding ground of corruption. The matter gets worst when the facility or licence is required for commercial activity.

In 1962 the K Sanathanam Commission gave following preamble on corruption:

"...various factors have operated to nullify in some measure the anti-corruption drive. The sudden extension of the economic activities of the Government with a large armoury of regulations, controls, licences and permits provided new and large opportunities. The quest for political power at different levels made successful achievement of the objective more important than the means adopted. Complaints against the highly placed in public life were not dealt with in the manner that they should have been dealt with if public confidence had to be maintained. Weakness in this respect created cynicism and the growth of the belief that while Governments were against corruption they were not against corrupt individuals, if such individuals had the requisite amount of power, influence and protection…."

Notice the words in bold. Ask any person on the street whats/he feels. Does s/he feels that complaints against highly placed is even possible? All these Watchdogs and all these newly acquired means of communications have not added to the confidence of the people. It is further amplified by the fact that in large number of public services, it is impossible to avail the same without bribing right person.

The Sanathan Commission had linked the cause of corruption partly to the second world war but that is not the whole truth. Corruption had been related to survival. The Heroes of the nation had to bribe the invaders occupying this land to commute safely or to escape prison. Often it was strategically employed in the war of freedom.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was one of the greatest military commanders and founder of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (emperor) of his realm at Raigad. All his life he fought with Aurangzeb, the expansionist ruler of Delhi Sultanate. The military forces of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj expanded the Maratha sphere of influence, capturing and building forts, and forming a Maratha navy. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established a competent and progressive civil rule with well-structured administrative organisations. He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration. In 1645, the 15-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj bribed or persuaded Inayat Khan, the Bijapuri commander of the Torna Fort, to hand over possession of the fort to him. The bribe was one of the stratagem used in his long war against the Chugtai Turk invader Aurangzeb.

See: The Marathas 1600–1818, by Stewart Gordon (1993) Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-26883-7.

The common man under Mughal (a name given by British) as also under British and after 1947 has survived on bribes. It may be a dirty word but for a common man it is the key to survival. It is the grease which has to be applied to move the giant wheels of Government to move.

Illegal Construction

India must be the only country where every building is illegal in some way or the other. The Prime Minister of India also lives in a building which is illegally modified and therefore is illegal.

Here I am using the world 'illegal' rather loosely and not strict sense. Therefore it includes enchroachment, irregular, unauthorised, condonable, compundable and all other terms used in Building laws to denote what is not permissible in law.

Sanjay Baru was Media Advisor to the Prime Minister of India between 2004-2008 and has written about his tenure in Prime Minister's Office in his book "Accidental Prime Minister – The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh." He has also written about the Prime Minister's residence 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi. (At the time of Baru it was called 7 Race Course Road.) Entry to PMO is narrated by Baru in these words:

"I went to meet Dr Singh on Monday at the prime minister's sprawling official residence, 7 Race Course Road—7 RCR as it is popularly called—at the edge of Lutyens' Delhi and bordering diplomatic enclave. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, the security around the PM's official residence has become so elaborate that entering it is quite an ordeal. The Special Protection Group (SPG), an elite security unit protecting the PM, which was created in 1985 after Indira Gandhi's assassination, allows in only such visitors whose names have been provided to them by the personal secretary to the PM. After driving through the first gate of the outer compound, visitors alight near the second gate. Only ministers, authorized officials and foreign dignitaries are allowed to drive through the second gate, and get into SPG vehicles that will take them a couple of hundred yards down the road to the PMO. Those less privileged must first walk into a visitors' room, deposit their mobile phones and be screened by security. Only then are they ferried by the SPG in its fleet of Maruti cars to the Prime Minister's Office."

Do you notice the illegalities visible from thisvery paragraph? I will explain it, but notice this paragraph:

"Landing in Delhi on a February morning I called Jaideep and Indu. I was told Dr Singh was at 5 RCR, which had been turned into a mini-hospital, still under constant medical care, and no visitors had yet been allowed to see him. It turned out later that these restrictions had been put in place because of anxiety about his recovery, which had been slower than expected……..When I arrived at 3 RCR I was asked to go to 5 RCR where Mrs Kaur met me at the portico and took me in. A team of doctors was sitting in the visitors' room. I removed my shoes, washed my hands and went in."

Read on:

On Wednesday, 22 February, Rama and I went to Andhra Bhavan for dinner. We were in 'mid-thaali' when my mobile phone rang. It was a 3 RCR number. It was the PM himself, summoning me. I forced Rama to forgo dessert and we drove straight to the PM's house………… When I reached 3 RCR, Dr Singh was seated in his living room looking distraught. 'We do not have an agreement as yet and President Bush is coming in a week's time. I don't think this nuclear agreement will go through,' he said.

And this paragraph:

"..I then called on Dr Singh at 3 RCR. Both he and Mrs Kaur were seated in the living room, each reading a book. That was such a familiar sight. I had seen them this way on innumerable occasions; just the two of them, reading together in companionable silence."

Let me elaborate now. The aforesaid paragraphs tell the Prime Minister lives in several houses numbered 3 to 7 of Race Course Road now known as Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi. All thee houses have been made on unit by demolishing inner walls and each unit has been put to different types of use by Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

If you are living in any town in India and you have 4 adjacent houses, you can not break open the walls dividing the houses or install doors between them. You have to step out of gate on to the municipal road and open the gate of next house to enter it. If you open a gate between the two houses, it is illegal. Let me know if any municipal authority has given permission to anybody to do that. Here not only this has been done by Prime Minister but it is also done by Leader of main Opposition Party, Sonia Gandhi who has opened a gate between 10 Janpath residence and 1 Akbar Road office of Congress Party.

Secondly, all these houses of PMO, from house number 3 which is the residence of Prime Minister to number 5 which is hospital and number 7 which is the office have not a mere gate but have been converted into one property with common garden and through fare. That is completely illegal. I wonder if permission was obtained from New Delhi Municipal Committee (NMDC) and if Permission was given, I would like to know if similar permission was given to anybody else in the country?

Coming to the creation of hospital in 5 RCR for Prime Minister. Any hospital in residential area is illegal especially for the reason of the medical wasteit generates. But the question is: Was permission for this change sought from NDMC? Similar is the position of using 7 RCR as office of Prime Minister. Can a businessman use his residence as office?

But then the Government Buildings are exempt from the application of Municipal Laws under The Government Buildings Act, 1899. But the principle is to be understood. If the Prime Minister can not visualize a building plan for 50 years, it it reasonable to expect this from an ordinary citizen? Is it reasonable to impose such restrictions on enjoyment of property?

Answer is a bid 'NO'? Because it is a commercial activity which is not permissible in residential are. Now visualise a residential house with a few beds all occupied by a few young men in their twenties, all with a laptop or a MacBook lying on the beds maintaining websites doing business running into millions. Is this residential activity? The fact is that because no one could tell the difference, nobody could object.

In any case professional activity like office of lawyers, architect and chartered accountant is permissible. No body has time to elaborate numerous new professions e.g. cinematographer, film maker or editor etc.

Now let'stalk about the rooms, windows, cupboards and washbasins in PMO. According to Municipal laws all these have to be shown in the original map at the time of sanction of building plans. If you shift anything, Municipal Corporation people can come inside your house and demolish it.

While Municipal Corporation has no clue to make roads wide enough to last 20 years, it expects that a house once built must be retained in same shape with each wash basin and toilet at same place and size for next 100 years because life of modern RCC built house is 100 years.

Talking about RCC or "Reinforced Concrete Construction" it is a norm in northern India as it is a zone of seismicactivity. In any case a house built with bricks alone does not support more than two floors. The Municipal norms and building laws were enacted in that era when RCC was unheardof. Nobody thought it necessary to change it. In any case why change it when it can prove to be a trillion rupee bribe industry?

When these restrictions were imposed, these were reasonable. Even today these restrictions may me useful for certain types of building but why bother to think about that?

Under the guise of such obsolete laws which seriously infringe privacy and are beyond common sense, every building is susceptible to demolition and therefore an easy target for bribe or revenge as the political masters may require from time to time.

The restriction on not changing a wall or not changing windows or toilet or room partition were imposed when making these changes could affect the structural integrity of the building. Now the RCC structure of building is made first and then inner partitions are laid. Therefore this type of restrictions re obsolete and must be junked immediately. This one change can reduce 20% of corruption in this country. Remember every house and building is presently illegal.

Speed Money

Sanathan Commission had rightly concluded the effect of speed money. It observed:

"It is believed that the procedures and practice in the working of Government offices are cumbersome and dilatory. The anxiety to avoid delay has encouraged the growth of dishonest practices like the system of speed money. 'Speed money' is reported to have become a fairly common type of corrupt practice particularly in matters relating to grant of licences, permits, e!c. Generally the bribe giver does not wish, in these cases, to get anything done unlawfully, but wants to speed up the process of the movement of files and communications relating to decisions. Certain sections of the staff concerned are reported to have got into the habit of not doing anything in the matter till they are suitably persuaded. It was stated by a Secretary that even after the order had been passed the fact of the passing or' such order is communicated to the person concerned, and the order itself is kept back till the unfortunate applicant has paid appropriate gratification to the subordinate concerned. Besides being a most objectionable corrupt practice, this custom of speed money has become one of the most serious causes of delay and inefficiency."

If the speed money was serious in 1962, it became an epidemic in 2019. Except the few services which are online or time bound, the position has not changed much. The general atmosphere of being anti-corrupt do not last very long when no concrete steps are taken. For example a default disposal of the matter if not decided within stipulated time is such step. Online disposal without human intervention is another step.

The lack of transparent online mechanism for redressal of grievance can not be under estimated. The present day mechanism is nothing but an eye wash. The portal created by Central Government https://pgportal.gov.in/ is meaningless if it has discretion to close a complaint without redressal.

The only remedy which a common man has is to approach the court. It is a long battle which is not only time consuming but also prohibitively expensive.

Present Governments anti-corruption efforts may have put a stop to the earlier cronyism. But while the old corrupt system stopped working, no new and more honest system replaced it. The result was paralysing inaction in New Delhi, as bureaucrats declined to make decisions for fear of being accused of malfeasance, and businesses stopped investing in new projects. The economy which grew on the strength of infusion of money for toilets and housing started to lag in 2019.

Before Clinton said "It is economy. Stupid!" he did not have basic issue of governance before him. However merely ending, as James Crabtree called it, India's Gilded Age would not work unless a transparent rule of law is established and that too at a faster pace. There can not be rule of law if bureaucrats are not accountable for it's action as well as inaction.

Accountability

The rule of law has eroded, and governance and corruption have become a serious problem. Too many interactions with the government are morally ambiguous. In some regions, a citizen cannot obtain a birth certificate without paying a bribe; a rickshaw driver pays the police a sixth of his daily earnings; a farmer cannot get a clear title to his land without having to bribe a revenue official; a parent finds that the teacher is absent in a government primary school; a sick person has to cope with an absent doctor at the state primary health centre. These are some of the areas where the state touches citizens' lives, leaving them mostly disappointed.

India Grows at Night: A Liberal Case for a Strong State by Gurcharan Das (2012) Penguin.

Where is the remedy for all the above problems?We have seen that with so many watchdogs it is very difficult to prosecute a corrupt official for sitting on an application for a service/certificate. Where and how accountability of a Government official shall be fixed?

There is a need to rethink the mechanism for curbing corruption. It would be a good idea to de-link politicians from bureaucrats and have two different approaches to deal with the corruption of both classes.

Since there is a possibility of political motive of allegations of corruption against politician, the burden of proof may be differently dealt with. There is no reason to protect harassing public servants.

Works Contract

Recently traffic on a major bridge connecting the two most populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was stopped as it showed signs of major cracks. Some parts of bridge even fell down. The bridge was constructed just 10 years ago. Millions are affected by halt of movement.

Karmaksha River Bridge found broken.

This not the first and it will not be last. Will those involved with the bridge black listed? Will the names of all the people involved in managerial position, in execution of work and in the Government will be punished? In all probability a scapegoat will be found in junior engineer. An enquiry will be set up and it will all be forgotten.

This is not how an epidemic is dealt with. We must admit that corruption is an epidemic. Right thing to instil confidence in all and to deter repetition of such incident is to black list all the managerial personnel. Dismiss all the Government officials. But this will not be done. Too many people know too many others.

Sanathanam Commission had in 1962 identified the common offices of corruption. It observed:

"We were told by a large number of witnesses that in all contracts of construction, purchases, sales, and other regular, business on behalf of the Government a regular percentage is paid by the party, to the transaction, and this is shared in agreed proportions among the various officials concerned. We were told that in the constructions of the Public Works Department, seven to eleven per cent was usually paid in this manner and this was shared by the persons of the rank of Executive Engineer and below down to Head Mistry, and occasionally even the Superintending Engineer might have a share. In the Railways, besides the above, similar practice in connection with allotment of wagons and booking of parcels particularly perishables, is said to be in vogue. Wherever purchases have to be made, such percentage is paid for acceptance of inferior cruelty of goods. In all cases, failure to pay the percentage results invariably in difficulty and delay in getting the bills paid.

In the higher ranks, differences and disputes about specifications, use of inferior quality of material, and other technical issues are utilised for the purpose. It is not always the Government servant who takes the initiative in the matter. Frequently enough it is the dishonest contractors and suppliers who, having obtained the contract by undercutting, want to deliver inferior goods or get approval for sub-standard work and for this purpose, are prepared to spend a portion of their ill-earned profit."

With such graphic description of the rot in Government Machinery, it should have been rather easy to plug the holes but as we know, it was not. Without going into each of specific recommendation of the Commission, let me fast forward to this day.

Recently the Government of Delhi awarded a contract a relative of the Chief Minister for cleaning of a drain. It turned out that he never had the equipment to do the job as the bills for purchase of the same were bogus. He was already paid so the matter is under investigation.

This is what has happens in India. Corruption became institutionalised. It started in Uttar Pradesh in or around 1980s. A Minister in-charge of PWD Ministry called the Chief Engineer and told him that he want a cut of 10% in the entire budget and he does not care how he does it. It was a new beginning. The minister went on to become Chief Minister and even a Minister in the Union Cabinet. After all he had talent.

The institutionalised corruption introduced another type of corruption. Bribe for transfer posting has become a business in many Governments at State level. Haryana is said to be first state which has computerised the transfer posting in education department. This is an encouraging trend. It may be replicated in other departments and by other Governments.

The coalition era which started in 1989 was not helpful either. In notorious Neera Radia tapes the liaison socialite mentions about a Minister of Surface Transport and the fact that he was lazy to be satisfied with fixed percentage of 15 percent as commission for awarding contracts for road building.

If efforts to catch corrupt and to discourage corruption were lacking since 1962, the situation has not changed much as far as the law is concerned vis-a-vis citizen. It is an evil which affects the citizen the most but the poor taxpayer has very little say and no protection as a whistle blower.

The watchdogs created by different legislations are closed door offices in which a citizen can not step in. There is no pan India help line. This makes corruption a fight by the Government with it'sown officials, fought by it'sown officials. In other words it is "Public Servant vs. Public Servant"? How far such a fight can go and will go?

Monopolies

There are two types of economic systems in the world. Both are two sides of same coin. One is called Capitalist and the other is Communist or Socialist. The Capitalism creates monopoly of wealth and resources in the hands of a few corporations. Communist creates monopolies ostentatiously in the hands of Government controlled by a few individuals.

India has not really worked it'sway through this economic maze. It has not yet decided it's course. It started off on socialist model in which crony capitalists with access to corridors of power flourished.

A classic example is the Hindustan Ambassador is an auto-mobile manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India, in production from 1958 to 2014 with few improvements and changes over its production lifetime. The Ambassador was based on the Morris Oxford series III model, first made by Morris Motors Ltd at Cowley, Oxford in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1959. It was a cultivated symbol of indigenous pride in socialist regime even though it had nothing indigenous in it's design. It survived due to it's monopoly as the Government would not grant licence to other manufacturers to enter Indian market. This was an example of Capitalist monopoly.

Indian Railway (IR) is a prime example of State Monopoly. As an employer it employs largest number of employees in the world. It carries more passengers per day than the entire population of Australia. It runs more than 20,000 passenger trains per day with average speed of 50 Km per hour. In 300 BC at the time of reign of Chandragupta Mourya, the bullock carts were used which used to travel at the speed of 10 km per hour. So in 2300 years we could multiply the speed only by five times?

Actually there are some trains which runs at the speed upto 150 Km per hour. These are called Shatabdi or Centenary which were launched about three decades back at the cusp of changing centenary.

The reason of such poor speed and development is lack of competition and monopoly. Had there been any competition,things would be different. Example is air travel. The monopoly ended three decades earlier. Today one can fly in latest Boeing or Airbus plane through any private airlines while state Carrier Air India incur losses.

Inspite of it's monopoly, Indian Railway set an example in the year 2019 when it declared that for the first time in it's history of 166 years, this year went by without any death of any passenger in accident. For operation of this magnitude it is a rare feat, indeed. But this does not take away the built in inefficiencies of a monopolistic operation.

Let me give an example. Though it does not directly relate to corruption it does show the manner in which monopolies work. In the above dismal scenario of low speed rail travel, Railway decided to built it'sown high speed train. It is called 'Train 18'. After trial for several months it was commercially launched on 15 February 2019 between Varanasi and New Delhi. It can travel upto speed of 200 km per hour but presently runs upto 129 Km per hour due to tack limitations. Varanasi is coveted constituency of Prime Minister. Therefore the train also becomes special.

The train is an excellence of technology. The suspension of the train was so good that one could easily write a letterwhile train was travelling at the speed of 129 Km per hour. It is not possible in other trains (excluding metro). The good news ended there. The seats of the train are fixed. For 8 hour journey, it can cause backache with persons with weak back. Food warmers were not working therefore the food served was cold. New technology bio toilets have been provided. No body thought that most passengers use toilets as Urinals. Bio toilets are not equipped to handle so much liquid and it was a disaster.

Remember the train was put to trials before commercial launch. The problem was that there is no involvement of people. There is no feed back taken from people. Nobody thought that passengers can give feed back. The consumer is irrelevant in a monopoly. Consumer has to accept what is offered. It does not matter if the train is a special train which runs in the constituency of the Prime Minister who all the time talk of a New India inclusive of all the people and ideas.

Capitalist system devised a new institution to keep monopolies on check. These were called Regulators.They were supposed to protect the interest of consumer. Now there are new entrants on the scene of corruption.

The Regulators.

There are so many regulators who regulate private monopolies like Electricity Distribution or DisCom as they are popularly called. Now a citizen has no vote in the proposal and the fight before Regulator is pliant Government and the DisCom. What shall be the result? Any guesses?

Wholesale rate of electricity is Rs.3/- per unit and distributor sells it it @ Rs. 7/- or more per unit. That is the performance rather non-performance of Regulator. Similar is the fate of Telecom Regulator. In finance, the performance is even more dismal.

Raghuram Rajan ex governor RBI in 2010 wrote at page 154 of his book "The public has lost faith in a system where the rules of the game seem tilted in favor of a few."

Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy by Raghuram Rajan (2010) Princeton University Press

Irony is that when Rajan was RBI Governor and P Chidambaram was Union Finance Minister, a Bullion import scheme called 80:20 was implemented. When it was started in 2013, only banks and PSUs like MMTC and STC were allowed to import gold for domestic use. In May 2014, after the UPA government lost election, the scheme was modified (one day before new Government took over) allowing premier trading houses and star trading houses to import gold, which according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) resulted in a windfall gain of Rs. 4,500 crore for 13 trading houses. The scheme was terminated in November 2014.

Economics Times Newspaper article.

The other irony of Rajan is that when he was the Regulator as RBI Governor, toxic loans worth rupees ten lakh crores (Rs. 1,000,000,000,000,000) were distributed by the Public Sector Banks without adequate collateral. Most amount may have distributed before his tenure but it is a fact that magnitude of problem could be discovered only after Rajan left office.As regard the magnitudeit may be noted that the amount of toxic loans equals net worth of largest corporation in India i.e. Reliance Corporation.

Bankruptcy Court is now grappling with these defaulters with some success so far. Rajan bears no responsibility as a failed regulator. A regulator without accountability for non-performance or bad performance is a corruption for which there is no law.

Under performance and conflict of interest must be reigned in by suitable code of conduct and with clear rules about avoidance of conflict of interest.

There must be a prohibition of affiliation by a regulator with any political party or public office for ten years or so. However the present government amended an existing law imposing such prohibition, to appoint former telecom regulator as principle secretary to the Prime Minister. This inconsistency must stop.

See Hindustan Times Newspaper.

Now all this talk of policy making and oversight has to be dealt with by politicians elected to form the Government. They are the Legislators who enact laws and discuss the legislative business.

Legislators

Members of Parliament are appointed to enact laws in Parliament. But in India they have an additional function to undertake development of their constituency. The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Division is entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Under the scheme, each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector for works to the tune of Rs.5 Crores per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. It also coversKhelo India and welfare of differently abled persons, Purchase of Computers, Ambulances/Herse Vans, Books for Schools, Colleges and Public Libraries, New Water Borings in place of Hand Pumps, Railway Halt Station, Shelters for imparting training for skill development etc.

The official website of Government of India is here.

The expenditure of this fund places vast financial discretion on the legislatures. Does the work executed in each constituency is audited or even supervised?

The above link is about Members ofParliament. Similar funds are available to members of each State Legislature and member of each Municipal Corporation. The most visible example of gross misuse of funds is the public gardens where six different types of benches are installed right next to each other. This happens because the fund has to be spent every year and when there is no idea to spend, the money is wasted on benches which are bought at random without any care for ambiance and an eyesore is created. Park without grass has lights which do not work.

The State owes a constitutional obligation to the people of the country to ensure that there is no concentration of wealth to the common detriment and to the debilitation of democracy. Therefore these directions of Supreme Court were given:

"...to have a permanent institutional mechanism dedicated to the task. Such a mechanism is required to periodically collect data of LEGISLATORS and their respective ASSOCIATES and examine in every case whether there is disproportionate increase in the assets and recommend action in appropriate cases either to prosecute the LEGISLATOR and/or LEGISLATOR'S respective ASSOCIATES or place the information before the appropriate legislature to consider the eligibility of such LEGISLATORS to continue to be members of the concerned House of the legislature.

Further, data so collected by the said mechanism, along with the analysis and recommendation, if any, as noted above should be placed in the public domain to enable the voters of such LEGISLATOR to take an informed and appropriate decision, if such LEGISLATOR chooses to contest any election for any legislative body in future.

Lok Prahari, Through Its General Secretary vs Union Of India decided by SC on 16 February, 2018.

There is neither data analysis nor recommendations are placed in public domain. But which of the above watchdogs will perform this function? Hope somebody is doing it. It is also hoped that the agency doing it is sharing this data with the watchdogs mentioned in Chapter 4.

A sitting member of legislature visited a neighbouring country on a private visit. It was a news as he chose to pay personal visit to attend oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister of an aggressor country. He repeated justified his visit on the basis of his personal relationship with PM of that country. The words private and personal imply it has nothing to with Government. Yet he charged the Government with transport expenses, as it was revealed in Right to Information.

Navjot Singh Sidhu made Punjab Govt pay for his Private visit

It did not even made a front page news, what to speak of any action against the Legislature concerned.

On top of it, Supreme Court has held that a Member of Parliament is a public servant but he is immune from prosecution even if his vote in legislature is influenced by payment of bribe.

SeeP.V.Narasimha Rao vs. State (CBI/SPE), 1998(4) SCC 626: 1998 CrLJ 2930: AIR 1998 SC 2120.

This is not fair. But the problem of politics is that if every vote made in Parliament is questioned as motivated by bribe, legislative work would come to a stand still.

Global Trends

India may have it's unique history of corruption but the fact is that corruption is a global phenomenon. Lee Kuan Yew sums up the problem:

"...Fighters for freedom for their oppressed peoples had become plunderers of their wealth. Their societies slid backwards. We were swept upby the wave of revolution in Asia, determined to get rid of colonial rule, but angry at and ashamed of the Asian nationalist leaders whose failure to live up to their ideals had disillusioned us..."

Yew also sums up the hypocrisy of communist which he experienced in China:

"...Ostentatious egalitarianism is good politics. For decades in Mao's China, the people wore the same-style Mao jacket and trousers, ostensibly of the same material with the same ill-fitting cut. In fact there were different grades of Mao jackets. A provincial leader in charge of tourism explained to one of my ministers that while they might look alike, they were of different qualitycloth. To emphasise his point, he unbuttoned his jacket to show that it was fur-lined..."

Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew: From Third World To First The Singapore Story: 1965–2000.

In USA

USA has built an image of being an upright country based on rule of law. When it comes to corruption, it's politicians do not fare any better. In fact it is now being called corporatocracy due to the influence of big Corporations on it's policies.

Peter Schweizer in his New York Times bestselling books Extortion and Throw Them All Out, detailed patterns of official corruption in Washington that led to congressional resignations and new ethics laws. In next book, Clinton Cash, he follows the Clinton money trail, revealing the connection between their personal fortune, their "close personal friends," the Clinton Foundation, foreign nations, and some of the highest ranks of government. Schweizer reveals the Clinton's troubling dealings in Kazakhstan, Colombia, Haiti, and other places at the 'wild west" fringe of the global economy. Following passages have been reconstructed from Chapter 1 of his book to give a bird eye view of the shady dealings of Clintons:

"....Ask Bill about the tens of millions of dollars he has made in speaking fees around the world, paid for by the same cast of characters, and you will get an equally charitable explanation: it's evidence of his desire to help people..... Millions of dollars as a sign of pure affection; millions more for helping people think about their lives.....The reality is that most of what happens in American politics is transactional. People look for ways to influence those in power by throwing money in their direction. Politicians are all too happy to vacuum up contributions from supporters and people who want access or something in return. After politicians leave office, they often trade on their relationships and previous positions to enrich themselves and their families......it has long been illegal for foreigners to contribute to US political campaigns......The Clintons, however, often take money from foreign entities. And that money, donated to the Clinton Foundation or paid in speaking fees, comes in amounts much larger than any campaign contribution......proving corruption by a political figure is extremely difficult. Short of someone involved coming forward to give sworn testimony, we don't know what might or might not have been said in private conversations, the exact nature of a transaction, or why people in power make the decisions they do.......Foreign interests can't donate to political campaigns. But they can pay money for speeches. And they can donate to the Clinton Foundation. Are they doing so to buy influence?

…...Hillary famously noted, the Clintons were "dead broke" when they left the White House in 2001.....The Clintons' confirmed income between 2001 and 2012 was at least $136.5 million, according to the Washington Post. USA Today estimates Bill Clinton's personal net worth to be $55 million. That's a very big jump from "dead broke" in a very short time........Bill has been paid an annual average of over $8 million for giving speeches around the world. The fees he collects are enormous and unprecedented, sometimes as much as $500,000 or even $750,000 per speech. It'shard to imagine that Clinton's pearls of wisdom are worth that much to even the most worshipful audience........Marc Rich, an oil trader and financier who had been indicted on numerous charges by US prosecutors and had fled the country. Rich's business ties included a "who's who" of unsavory despots, including Fidel Castro, Muammar Qaddafi, and the Ayatollah Khomeini.......On his last day in office, President Clinton infamously pardoned Rich, sending shock waves through Washington. The pardon came after his ex-wife, Denise Rich, donated $100,000 to Hillary's 2000 Senate campaign, $450,000 to the Clinton Library, and $1 million to the Democratic Party.......The Washington Post wondered if the "defining characteristic" of Bill and Hillary Clinton was that "they have no capacity for embarrassment…."

Clinton Cash by Peter Schweizer (2015) Harper Collins.

Lawrence Lessig formulates the problem of USA in this quote:

"There is only one issue in this country," former MSNBC commentator Cenk Uygur told Netroots Nation, in June 2011. "Campaign finance reform." According to him (to quote)

"...The great threat to our republic today comes not from the hidden bribery of the Gilded Age, when cash was secreted among members of Congress to buy privilege and secure wealth. The great threat today is instead in plain sight. It is the economy of influence now transparent to all, which has normalized a process that draws our democracy away from the will of the people. A process that distorts our democracy from ends sought by both the Left and the Right: For the single most salient feature of the government that we have evolved is not that it discriminates in favor of one side and against the other. The single most salient feature is that it discriminates against all sides to favor itself. We have created an engine of influence that seeks not some particular strand of political or economic ideology, whether Marx or Hayek. We have created instead an engine of influence that seeks simply to make those most connected rich.

Republic Lost by Lawrence Lessig published by Hachette Book Group, New York (2011) ISBN: 978-0-446-57643-7

The problem of corruption has an association with greed which accompanies commercial enterprise. But the surprise is that it does not spare even non-commercial rather charitable institutions like Church.

In UK

In 2009 in United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal that emerged in 2009, concerning false expenses claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over the previous years. Later 8 British MPs were charged for Criminal conduct and were later convicted and sentenced for a year or more in prison. There names are:

1 David Chaytor

2 Jim Devine

3 Eric Illsley

4 Denis MacShane

5 Margaret Moran

6 Elliot Morley

7 Lord Taylor of Warwick

8 Lord Hanningfield

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_parliamentary_expenses_scandal

Recently in November 2019 two British MPs were caught trying to nick valuable furniture from their Parliamentary offices at the time of elections for next term.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10357609/mps-caught-stealing-furniture-election/

It may be noted here the unlike India, in UK and USA, corruption is not a political issue. Here the politics start with allegations of elections. Mostly because the parties do not have any blue print for the future or the governance.

Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2017. The head quarter of Catholic Church at Vatican, Rome has it'sown problems of shady dealing and cronyism. The auditors of the Church reported this about investments:

"…..He asked how the investments were doing: he came to find out that more than 60 percent had gone to weapons manufacturing!…..Oversight of investments, ethics, and even risks, because sometimes [you are tempted by interesting proposals and people say]: since this yields high interests, then … Don't be so trusting, we need to have technical assessors for this. Clear guidelines are needed on how and into what investments should be made, and they must always be made with scrupulous care and the utmost attention to risks. One of you reminded me of a problem that led to our losing more than ten million with Switzerland, through a bad investment, and the money was gone. There is also a rumor that there are satellite administrations [whose investments are not reported in their financial statements]. Some dicasteries have their own money and they administer it privately. ....Our books are not in order, we have to clean them up."

According to the author, Nuzzi, the Pope Francis ordering the clean up observed:

"...The financial situation inherited from Ratzinger and Bertone—as described by the auditors and seconded by Francis—was a dead-end, pre-bankruptcy scenario. On the one hand there was total chaos in the management of resources and spending, which was spiralling out of control, with inflated costs, deceptive contracts, and dishonest suppliers dumping obsolete and overpriced products on the Vatican. On the other, cronyism and shady financial dealings prevented change and undermined the policies.."

Merchants In The Temple by Gianluigi Nuzzi. Translationby Michael F. Moore. Published by Henry (2015) Holt and Co. New York (marketed by Macmillon Inc) e-ISBN 9781627798648.

Across the globe in Ghana, the Church charge a tenth of earning from cultivators but crops kept failing. Pastor travelling in a new range rover was beaten up by people.

Pastor beaten up in Ghana

In Europe and India there are allegations of a different kind of corruption against Pastors but carnal corruption is beyond the scope of this book.

The problem of corruption has seeped into every institution of every kind all over the globe. The idea of mentioning above examples from abroad is that the western system of democracy which did not have historical burden of corruption as India had. Yet the corruption has taken root in these countries. Even the Church which is epitome of morality has serious problem of corruption. What is the problem?

The problem

Nepotism in human beings is innate according to Gurcharan Das who sums up the problem thus:

"...Human DNA and how it was imprinted with a natural propensity to favour family, friends and fellow members of caste and community. This universal flaw reasserted itself in the absence of strong incentives in favour of impartiality. It triumphed particularly in a country like India where society had been historically strong and the state weak. Even though India was changing into a middle-class society, family bonds remained strong, and trumped the rational recruitment of talent. The individual was loyal first to the family, caste, religious or linguistic group and only then to the nation as a whole. Fragmented loyalties invited a special type of corruption called nepotism.."

India Grows at Night: A Liberal Case for a Strong State by Gurcharan Das (2012) Penguin.

However Gurchran Das argues that "..India was blessed with an amazing first generation of political leaders. Sixty years later the nobility of politics has been replaced by money and criminality. The best shun politics, leaving it to the worst. It is now of critical importance for decent men and women to take the plunge into politics before criminals take it over completely..."

I would like to disagree in part. In the first chapter as also herein above I have extracted theK Sanathanam Commission's Report of 1962 which had identified the bottle necks causing corruption but the first generation of leaders having failed to do anything to remedy, are equally at fault if not more. The foundation of the system which created opportunities for corruption was laid by the first generation of leaders.

However I would agree with his following observations that out look is bleak:

"..The DNA of the BJP is not secular; the DNA of the Congress is statist, populist and socialist. Neither of the two has shown the commitment for institutional reform that is needed for good governance, let alone the ability to deliver it. The regional parties lack a national vision.."

But we can not presume that the situation is impossible howsoever impossible it may seem. If we're going to understand the corruption, we need to understand the whole economic spectrum.

It can be stated without any fear of contradiction that corruption is not to be judged by degree, for corruption mothers disorder, destroys societal will to progress, accelerates undeserved ambitions, kills the conscience, jettisons the glory of the institutions, paralyses the economic health of a country, corrodes the sense of civility and mars the marrows of governance.

Niranjan Hemchandra Sashittal vs State Of Maharashtra decided by SC on 15 March, 2013 published (2013) 4 SCC 642.

Any serious journalist or investigator will tell you that proving corruption by a political figure is extremely difficult. Short of someone involved coming forward to give sworn testimony, we don't know what might or might not have been said in private conversations, the exact nature of a transaction, or why people in power make the decisions they do. This is why the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sets up sting operations: to catch suspected malefactors in the act.

That is also why investigators look primarily at patterns of behaviour. Imagine, for example, that you are exploring whether a politician is doing favours for a major campaign contributor in a manner that might be illegal. If investigators were to find that the timing of major campaign contributions occurred immediately before the politician made a highly favourable decision for the donor, and that this pattern could be well established, such timing would certainly warrant further investigation.

Clinton Cash by Peter Schweizer (2015) Harper Collins.

It is a matter of fact that corrupt pubic servants get refuge and protection from the politicians and it is inconceivable that this refuge is granted due to good looks or benevolence. There is a too apparent quid pro quo at play.

The restriction of cash payment of donation to political parties toRs. 2000/- has increased paper work to fill out the names and addresses of the payees. The introduction of anonymous electoral bonds which can be purchased only by cheque or online payment through banks may have solved the problem of anonymity of donor but it has not solved the problem of corruption. Further the money trail can be traced to find who paid for whom. At leastby the Government and its employees, very easily.

Is there any solution to the problem of corruption? What about Elections and Political parties itself? Are they corruption free?