Measures to Combat Corruption: Designing Integrity
Curing corruption requires moving away from pure moral exhortation toward a multi-pronged strategy that structuralizes accountability, leverages technology to minimize human interface, and empowers citizens to monitor public expenditure.
| Strategy Framework for Anti-Corruption | - Multi-pronged blueprint coordinating Prevention (discretion minimization), Detection (e-governance/audits), and Punishment (special courts) |
| Structural & Institutional Reforms (2nd ARC) | - Minimizing Discretion: replacing vague laws with objective guidelines, recording and publishing criteria whenever discretion is used - Civil Services Board (CSB): independent boards for postings/transfers to stop political interference - Citizen Charters with Teeth: Right to Service Acts penalizing departments and compensating citizens directly from errant officers' salaries |
| Digital Interventions (e-Governance as Disinfectant) | - JAM Trinity & Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): bypassing intermediaries, saving ₹3.4 Lakh Crore by eliminating ghost beneficiaries - Government e-Marketplace (GeM): transparent online procurement portal eliminating cartels and middleman extortion - Faceless Tax Assessment: anonymous digital assignments removing face-to-face extortion interface between taxpayers and assessors |
| Social & Citizen-Led Vigilance | - Social Audits: empowering local communities to inspect project sites, muster rolls, and vouchers directly (e.g. MGNREGA) - Integrity Pacts: mandatory agreements in high-value tenders overseen by Independent External Monitors (IEMs) |
| High-Yield Ethics Data & Exemplars | - Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) savings of ₹3.4 Lakh Crore (removing 5.8 Crore duplicate beneficiaries) - Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal handling ₹4 Lakh Crore public contracts - CVC case disposal target (resolving major penalty proceedings within 6 months) |
| Mains Keywords & Quotes | - **Keywords:** Discretion-Minimization, Faceless Administration, JAM Trinity & DBT, Social Audits - **Lee Kuan Yew Quote:** *"If you want to end corruption, start from the top. Clean government begins with clean leadership."* - **2nd ARC Quote:** *"E-governance is about rewriting procedures and simplifying systems to empower the citizen."* - **Kautilya Quote:** *"The King should protect subjects against harassment of government servants."* |
| Conclusion | - Remedial measures are the **"Shield of the State"** — moving from moral policing to systemic design-led integrity where corruption is high-risk and zero-gain |