Vigilance Week Celebrations... and our New Generations

This post is about two somewhat related topics of current interest.

I. Vigilance Week.

The country's central government, and various public-funded bodies under it, are in the midst of celebrating the Vigilance Week - an annual event focused at generating awareness amongst their employees about the need to be honest, dedicated and ever-vigilant against corrupt practices, etc.

The country's topmost, and high profile, body that looks after the Vigilance function is the CVC , or the Central Vigilance Commission.

Besides keeping an eye over the errant public servants, the CVC also oversees the much more high-profile CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), which is the premier investigation agency of the country. The Indian public in places much faith in its professionalism and impartiality as compared to all other government-run agencies, including the police.

So far so good; but I certainly wonder whether CVC, the apex organization created to fight corruption, has really been effective in its mission. Honest answers to the following questions may reveal the reasons.

• With India's quasi-federal Constitution, the Central government has important roles - direct, and also as a role-model - to play in national affairs. Would it be wrong to conclude, therefore, that India's dismal record on corruption year after year means that our very system of governance has failed in its core duty?

• Has the CVC, being the apex body for tackling corruption in central institutions, ever got any professional and scientific surveys undertaken to determine the causes behind the stupendous growth of corruption in the country during the fast five-plus decades and to plan an effective roadmap to curb the same? The Indian public deserves to know this.

• Knowing fully well the Indian "system" where everything leaks, and reposing trust in authorities is a risky venture for anyone but the well-healed or well-connected, why did the CVC under Mr. Vittal, its erstwhile IAS head, decide to outrightly reject any anonymous complaints? Was that the ONLY way the CVC had to tackle the 'potential' misuse of this otherwise welcome and liberal measure? Or was it done to actually shield the corrupt, who are invariably powerful as well???

• Sheer common sense would dictate that the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of any organization must be truly independent - not only de facto but also de jure - so that (s)he is able to do justice to her/his role. (S)he must also be under severest accountability so that (s)he doesn't misuse her/his powers to harass someone, or to extract revenge, or to amass wealth by illegal means. Why is it then that for years (and even NOW!) posts of CVOs and VOs have been allowed to be filled in certain organizations, including those once headed by Mr. Vittal himself, recklessly flouting this common sense rule? Was (and is) it attributable to ignorance, ineptitude, hypocrisy, or a tendency to turn the Nelson's eye when faced with powerful vested interests?
  

[Note: The website of the CVC is at the following address: http://www.cvc.nic.in/]


II. The New Generation.

While surfing the Internet I recently came across some interesting revelations about how our younger generation is busy doing self-service, and in the process exporting our heritage of corrupt practices, beyond Indian boundaries. You may like to go through the initial few pages at the link cited at the end of this piece.

Incidentally, some of the comments at the site have made a reference to one of the States of India, and I tend to agree with it. My own experience has been that there is a great degree of parochialism exhibited by the people of certain States, while even in India. I have personally been witness to quite a few instances of networking and behind-the-scenes-lobbying done by, for, and amongst, persons belonging to the State in question. And well, habits don't respect boundaries, do they?

The cited link: https://lists.cs.columbia.edu/pipermail/ornet/2006-September.txt