'Optimism’, the unique quality, is the strength of mankind. The ""khoj"" for the origin of corruption is, therefore, started here with the optimistic notion that anything that has the origin or beginning will have an end too. The Holy Gita also advocates this principle. With this optimism, let us begin the search with a serene mind and see during the process whether we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. For any search, before plunging deep into it, a thorough study is required. Just like the system study, before any computer software is prepared. Similarly, for this inquisitive search also a prolific attempt is made to get to know the anatomy as well as the chemistry of corruption. In the sense, anatomy of corruption would mean the various forms in which the corruption existed and existing and different modus operandi, which are put in the process. It hardly requires any narration or explanation as we are all exposed sufficiently enough to various incarnations of corruption and also to all sorts of methodologies relating to corruption either by way of dealing with corrupts or by way of being corrupt. Therefore, let us put the thought on the chemistry of corruption i.e. its property and character namely the definitions, causes, activities, sequences and consequences of corruption which might ultimately help us to reach a conclusion about its origin.

Corruption - definitions

One of the definitions given to corruption is ""giving something to someone with power so that he will abuse his power and act favouring the giver"". Another definition given is ""the offering, giving, soliciting or acceptance of an inducement or reward, which may influence the action of any person"". Different societies use different words to describe corruption. In 1994, the misbehaviour of British parliamentarians was described as ""sleaze"". The word meant originally thin or flimsy material that might leave people poorly covered. But the word sleaze was used to describe any form of corrupt practice internationally, which gained recognition. Of course, The connotation, which the word ‘corrupt’ carries, may also be of some help to get in to the proximity of the real meaning of Corruption. ‘Corrupt’ as is known, are those who are morally depraved, suspect, unreliable, influenced by illegal means etc. Even though there are many definitions given by various sections and various people for Corruption and the corrupt, there exist a unanimous view (again optimistic) that corruption is both harmful and wrong.

Corruption - the causes

Among the several causes of corruption the important ones are Greedy, circumstances, opportunities, misconception, petty excuses, special temptations, etc. A little more elaboration with illustrations is given below (Preventing Fraud and Corruption - Denis Osborne, U.K. 1999):

Greedy - People want an unfair advantage over others. For example, to pay less tax, to get appointment or promotion, to win a contract, to get something done quickly or to avoid fine etc

Circumstances - Particular circumstances provoke further demands

Opportunities - People get opportunities for taking bribes

Misconception - People pay bribes because they think they have to. They think that officials will not do their job or take decisions which they ought to take unless they are paid a bribe

Petty excuses - Many people make excuses for their being corrupt - they say ‘it is common and everybody does it’ or ‘it is only something small and nobody is harmed’

There are certain special temptations, which are peculiar and are different for different groups of people - like

Politicians seek contributions to party funds, or money to use for patronage

Politicians and officials who fear loss of office seek corrupt benefits as insurance

Officials need extra money to maintain their standards of living if salaries have not been raised to match inflation, to meet commitments for housing car, school fees etc.

Employees feel resentment over bad management or pay levels they think unfair.

Employees who refuse to participate in a corruption ‘racket’ may be suspected and under threat from their colleagues or superiors

Some seek status, not only for having more riches than their colleagues but because corrupt officials may be admired by friends and family for their skills in outwitting authority.

Other groups of people have special motives or opportunities for corrupt gains

Corruption - its level of activity

The level of activity of corruption is broadly classified in to four categories, which are:

Petty corruption - to low level officials for routine ""services""

Grand corruption - large payments to win government contracts etc and for the consequences

Bureaucratic corruption - bribing officials for an ""advantage""

Political corruption - including bribes to politicians or party funds bribes by politicians to win votes

Corruption - its sequence

Corruption in its sequence of occurrence in the descending order in terms of its impact on the society is:

Occasional or opportunistic corruption - a few pay to gain an unfair advantage - this becomes more frequent, if corrupt behaviour escapes detection and punishment

Systemic corruption - employees expect/demand bribes and everybody needs to pay to get fair treatment

Destructive corruption - excessive greed of the corrupted rich creates anger, provokes conflict or change of government

Corruption - its consequences

It is obvious that the loss to the Society is often far greater than the value of the bribe involved. One of the reasons why more emphasis is being given to preventive vigilance is that it is cost-effective. Prevention is much more cost-effective in reducing corruption than investigation and prosecution etc. Not only that, by preventing corruption the worst seen consequences could be avoided. The consequences with some of their illustrations are as follows (Preventing Fraud and Corruption - Denis Osborne, U.K. 1999):

Ž Corruption threatens people and their governments

• It makes societies unfair - it hurts people

It denies the poor their share - particularly when they have no money to pay bribes

It increases poverty - this happens when the resources allocated for poverty relief get diverted to the rich

It worsens gender inequalities - making void rules for equity in employment

It violates human rights - right of the poor, critics silences, justice subverted

• It makes societies uneconomic - it slows development

It reduces revenue (tax, customs) - government lose more than corrupt officials gain

It increases costs of contracts - by more than the value of the bribes

It reduces quality of work (value-for-money) - supervision ineffective, can be dangerous

It distorts policies - decisions based more on expected individual gain than by society’s needs

It diverts resources from investment, welfare to individual extravagance, or investment overseas

It reduces commercial investment especially where there is ""low predictability""

It discourages investment of aid politicians to win votes demotivates taxpayers in donor countries

It subverts companies and NGOs if companies pay bribes employees are more likely to take bribes

It leads to shortages and delays because officials use these to seek bigger bribes

It leads to poor administration if officials are appointed because of family or ethnic links, or corrupt payments - who will not be the most competent and they will not be motivated to work well - expecting promotion by the same means


• It makes societies unsafe - it puts people’s lives at risk

It makes regulations ineffective

It increases criminality, when police or judges bribed that creates havens for drug dealing, arms smuggling

It escalates! Those enriched by bribes want more and expect to ""earn"" it by same means

It breeds revolution through people’s discontent and anger

Corruption - its link with investment

As per the World Bank Report 1997-98, a Country’s ratio of Gross Investment/GDP is reduced by:

32% of corruption is perceived as high

25% more, if uncertainty is also high i.e. bribes may not produce the intended result, and have a low probability of doing this.

Categories of people

Having seen all these about corruption, four broad categories of people are evolved in order to accommodate everyone. They are people:

who are not at all corrupt under any circumstances (almost hypothetical)
who are guilty of corruption
who benefit from corruption
who are potentially corrupt
So far we have seen various facets of corruption and with this insight let us try to stretch out and see where exactly lies the origin of corruption. Would it be proper to term ‘corruption’, a ‘phenomenon’?. People say that it is a universal phenomenon. Of course, if we look at the issue of corruption consciously from the platform, which it is occupying now, we would also subscribe to it. If that was the case, then the next question comes to the mind is whether it was a result of the natural phenomena or a man made one. Why not, then, look at the meaning of corruption vis-a-vis Corrupt. As stated in the earlier part of this article, ‘Corrupt’ are those who are morally depraved, suspect, unreliable, influenced by illegal means etc. These are the qualities, which are the results of the poor mind-set, putrid quality of thinking and lack of ideology and so on. In any case, there is nothing physical about them. They are all the products of the metamorphic or catalytic reactions taking place in the mind. A microscopic viewing of these meanings of ‘corrupt’ in their real sense would, without much to ponder, suggest that the phenomenon of corruption is psychological and, all psychological processes are supposed to be natural, may be under the influence of various parameters. It, therefore, goes without saying that Corruption is a natural phenomenon, which has its own and the only origin i.e. the Human mind, which is the seat of all vanities. One need not roll back to so many centuries and years to find out the origin of corruption. Whenever, wherever and in whichever forms the corruption existed and existing, it is so just because of the unbalanced metabolism of the human mind. In a nutshell, it is a disease rather an infection developed in the human mind and diffuses all over more dangerously than the giant killer AIDS and therefore, what it requires is a serene psychiatric cure at the first place and then comes the Laws, Rules and Regulations for removing it.

Having concluded that the origin of corruption is the human mind, let us not just optimistic alone and wait for the moment of it reaching its own end, which will not take place of its own. We, being responsible for bringing it to this spot from its origin, take the responsibility for pushing it to its coffin too. Sooner or later it has to happen, being a Universal concept. It depends entirely on us. Why not make it sooner and save ourselves?!!!!!