An Analysis into Local Government Corruption in India

Corruption is a long standing social issue persistent in India. From reportedly 51% of respondents from a survey admitting to paying bribes, to large industries such as telecommunications and coal showing signs of corruption, for the economic benefits of citizens or corporations, corrupt practices are used.

All the way back to post-independence India in 1951, the Industries Act required all operations to receive a license from the government, which limited investments from foreign countries as well as stifling competition, and ultimately led to bribery in politics being ubiquitous. While the Anticorruption Bureau of India was created in 1961 for the sole purpose of fighting corruption, it still persists all throughout the country well into the 21st century.

While there are many schemes present among businesses to benefit themselves, there is local corruption as well. The judiciary and police force were ranked third and second most corrupt institutions in India, which makes an easy way for citizens to bribe to get out of legal trouble on a singular level. Grand schemes among large companies are more prevalent in India than ever, with India growing exponentially, but local corruption is still just as bad under the law.

In property registration, policing, municipalities, transport offices, tax departments, water departments, and the electricity board, bribery is used commonly among people living in India. Sometimes a one off payment, sometimes a recurring tactic, bribery is used to get things done, to push for their own agenda, or to hide something, bribery is apparent in almost all parts of India. One of the main reasons for this is because of the lack of ways to either report it or get the government involved, especially in more rural areas.

Even the largest corporate and governmental scams and corruptions trickle down to hurt the people. Most rampant are the ones of the early 2010’s, as in the Commonwealth Games Scandal, which cost the government $1.8 billion, a telecom fraud, which cost the government $39 billion, and the Colgate scandal which involved the Prime Minister and cost the government $34 billion. All of these show corruption in the government, which desensitizes the idea of a simple bribery to those living in the country.

Both on a large and small scale, there is not enough circulation of the problems and implementation of solutions to fix the issue. The primary step should be to acknowledge the problem faced in government, cracking down first on the largest offenders to show the public there are consequences. Having corrupt institutions such as in the police, tax collection, and public works trickles down and affects everyone, which is worse for people than anyone else.

Locally, there needs to be many changes regarding corruption. Light needs to be shed on the issue locally, either in schools or some other way, and should address and put to a stop bribery and other tactics. As for if anyone sees it, there should be a place to anonymously report it, or some type of service to prevent the spreading of corruption via bribery. As said before, it all trickles down from the top. If the government, wealthy people, or large groups such as police are committing the crime, then other poorer people or groups will follow, making more of the country participate in corruption that should be stopped.

The Epidemic of Preventable Deaths for Children in India

India, a country home to 1.4 billion people, has been suffering from having one of the highest amounts of premature and preventable deaths in the world for many years. Over 50% of these premature deaths are caused by treatable diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, and encephalitis.

The lack of accessibility to hospitals is a huge factor for most of these deaths as India has one of the lowest hospital beds per capita in the world. India ranks 155th in 167 countries with 3 beds for every 10,000 people. For Indians, getting to a hospital is already a very difficult and arduous task. Since most Indians live in rural India, where there are not many hospitals around in case of emergencies, they are impeded from access to basic healthcare. However, even if there is a hospital nearby to treat the sick, a lot of the equipment and beds will be in use and the wait time will be egregious. According to a study, 74,000 deaths in 2016 were all easily treatable diseases that, if there were more hospitals and better healthcare, would have been drastically lower.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, these treatable diseases killed more than the coronavirus all over India. Ischemic heart disease, alone, causes over 4,000 deaths every day in India even though medicine and surgery can treat it. Children are the most affected by India's poor health infrastructure because of sanitation and malnutrition rather than actual diseases. In America, 23,000 infants die every year, which may sound like a lot, however, in 2018, 721,000 infants died across India. Even if an infant survives the postnatal period, statistics showed that 882,000 children below the age of 5 died in 2018 which happened to be the highest worldwide.

Diseases are not the only problem for India's children, another issue that is as lethal and troublesome as diseases is traffic accidents. In India, 31 children die in traffic accidents every day. India's ever-growing population is causing more problems than ever because roads are becoming more populous with vehicles. 8% of all road accidents involve children, with Uttar Pradesh being the worst among them with 2,388 child deaths in 2019. Although India's Motor Vehicle Act 2019 stated that every child should wear a seatbelt and hold parents more accountable for their children, the amendment was not fully implemented and only patched a small part of the problem.

India has made great strides towards solving this mass epidemic of preventable deaths for children, however, these solutions are only slightly, and temporarily, helping to reduce the amounts of deaths. To continue fixing these issues, the government will have to reevaluate its health infrastructure and traffic laws to make India's streets safer for all children. Until action is taken, India's children will remain in jeopardy and vulnerable for many years to come.

The Use of Child Labor and Slavery in India

Often overlooked by news outlets, child labor in India is prevalent, with over 8.3 million children ages 5-14 involved. The exploitation of child labor is present mainly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, with 50% of child labor in these states, according to Save the Children.

Because of a ⅓ poverty rate in India, as well as poor living conditions, lack of job diversity, and general need for money in the country to the point where some families sell children to child traffickers to lessen economic burden.

While child labor and child trafficking is such a big issue, countless organizations such as UNICEF have focused on combating these issues, bringing awareness to children that have dealt with this issue along with companies to try to root out the support of this labor.

Similarly, in private companies as well as homes, slaves are illegally held in India more than in any country in the world. However, it works as a debt system, where if a family or individual owes another person money, they are required to work if unable to pay. If they miss because they are sick or unable to work, debt grows. The inhumane conditions, insane working hours, and interest rates that keep people enslaved and never able to repay debts and make a life for themselves. Adults and children can fall victim to this, as well as people being trafficked and sold into slavery, which adds to the approximately 8 million enslaved.

There are countless solutions to the slavery problem in India. First off, education and informance of slavery’s illegality, especially to those who own slaves and to rural citizens at risk of becoming slaves. Showing those enslaved how to miraculously break out of slavery and regain their rights can be the best immediate, direct way to preventing it from happening again.

Secondly, the forming of community vigilance centers to challenge slave owners and prevent others from bondage will be another direct way to stop slavery. Involving police, trying to keep children in safe schools, better healthcare, and general economic development can be a result of this.

Finally, having plans for those that are enslaved is a big part of reintroducing them to society. If the citizen is a child, getting them back into schooling no matter where they left off can help to get them better jobs as well as be a better functioning member of society, able to read and write. As for educated adults that fall victim to slavery, finding a new occupation, craft, or other way to make money is crucial so that they are able to be financially stable and not fall into debt with someone again, stuck in a cycle of slavery.

Both of these issues are equally important to not only be made aware, but also to be put to an end. No child should be deprived of education or a childhood because of inhumane labor, and no person should be subjugated to slavery. These torturous conditions ultimately are mentally and physically detrimental, and can be very hard to come back from. It is imperative to have plans put in place to stop slavery and child labor, as well as actions that help victims return to society safely. Since India is a leading country in both of these demographics, many strides can be made to put an end to both, governmentally as well as organizationally.