PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PROMOTING INTEGRITY AND ERADICATING CORRUPTIONDistinguished judges, respected teachers and my dear friends,

Promoting integrity and eradicating corruption a very difficult task indeed! Today corruption is so allpervading that we do not know whether we are amidst corruption, or corruption is amidst us. Integrity
is something so hard to find that we do not know how to promote it and whom to entrust the task of
eradicating the omnipresent corruption. Believe me, if only we were to have a few honest people to
manage the affairs at the top, the entire government machinery would have fallen in line. But friends, is
it not a shame that in a country of thirteen hundred millions, we cant find e ven a handful of
incorruptible men of unquestionable integrity, to govern the country?
I think that corruption, at least in the Indian context, is so well-known that it needs no definition
but only eradication. Integrity, when present, acts as an antidote to corruption. In its absence, the
virus of corruption thrives, through opportunity and inclination, to eat into the vitals of our democracy.
So this rare quality called integrity deserves to be cultivated and promoted, at any cost. These two
difficult, but not impossible, goals can be reached only through the active involvement of public in the
happenings around administration and politics.
Why should public participate in this dual task? Corruption inhibits the performance of public
institutions and the optimal use of resources. Hence promotion of national integrity is an integral part of
development. Regular citizens will do well to act as agents of change since they are the stake holders.
Particularly in India, the law enforcement authorities like judiciary and police cannot be relied upon,
since the rule of law can be misused by corrupt interests. In such cases social organizations have to
work for the common man since he is the final victim of the menace . Most importantly, anticorruption policies have been successfully implemented, only in conjunction with civil society
participation. These include professional and non-governmental organizations, like Chambers of
commerce, Public Affairs Committee etc.
How can the public participate in a representative democracy? When a person or party is voted to
power public must ensure that irresponsible and unconstitutional center of powe r is not allowed to
come up. Peoples Organizations must be aware of how public money is allocated and alert in case of its
misappropriation. Petty bribes can be reported through phone -in or public-connect programs or in the
social media. Huge scams like the Coal Allocation scam, Spectrum scam, Satyam scam etc. are exposed
mostly by Public Interest Litigations with the help of RTI Act. Civil Society Organizations can definitely
pressurize the government for reactive compliance to eradicate corruption by1) providing protection to
whistle blowers 2) black-listing the names of the guilty and3) taking stringent action against the
offenders. But a sustainable participatory process should not stop at awareness-raising and whistleblowing stages. Crucial reforms must be initiated from the administrative side giving zero scope for
corruption since prevention is always better than cure.
Now the question is how can public participation prevent corruption? International Organizations
recommend proactive compliance to promote integrity through1) designing code of conduct for public
servants2) zero tolerance policy by higher-ups to serve as a deterrent to corrupt practices3) anti-

corruption training and 4) education to deal with corrupt challenges. Government of India is also trying
to integrate public policies through civic participation by means of interactive websites. Central Vigilance
Commission has 3point formula1) simplification of rules 2) greater transparency and 3) effective
punishment as a deterrent to malpractices. According to me Civil societies must interact with the service
organizations to use technology for providing quicker and transparent service. If there is no delay there
wouldnt be scope for bribe. On-line applications, on-line tax payments and one- stop computer centers
will eliminate kickbacks. An electronic economy ensuring all fiscal transactions on record can uncover
black economy worth many times the official economy. Governments must be able to publish with the
help of computers all data regarding requirements and the normal time taken for delivery of services
so that there is no anxiety and no exploitation of the same by middlemen. In a nutshell, the civil society
should address the will of the State to operate in an accountable, transparent and responsive manner.
There are a few broad concerns regarding effective public participation in combating corruption: 1)
Agencies are sometimes neither transparent nor participatory in the initial stages of rule -making.2)
Rigged meetings and agencies shying away from meeting certain groups. 3) Agencies fail to benefit by
interacting with public4) agencies dont make full use of technology due to poor telecommunication
infrastructure or poor literacy levels of beneficiaries.
Nevertheless, the situation, though difficult to mend, is not beyond redemption. Nobody can
change everything. But friends, everyone can change something; and if we are united and organized we
can do many difficult things. By a simple calculation, if every Indian, I repeat IF EVERY Indian were to
ensure that just one person that is HIMSELF does not compromise his own level of integrity to give
room for corruption, in the mass, all millions would have . Hopefully yes. Let us all join together and try
from within and without to promote integrity and to fight corruption.
JAI HIND