Kamal H Sangra
Behind every great fortune lies a great crime– Honoré de Balzac
Celebrating Vigilance Awareness Week in both letter and spirit means truly committing to understanding the full scope of corruption.
In recent months, several disturbing events have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of our judicial system and anti-corruption bodies. These events highlight the urgent need for stronger accountability, transparent investigations, and public trust in institutions meant to uphold justice.
An 83 year old retired Government employee was acquitted by the Chhattisgarh High Court after a staggering 39 year legal battle. The case? Allegedly accepting a Rs 100 bribe in the year 1986 to clear a bill.
vigilance Awareness week
Last month, the Supreme Court issued a stern rebuke to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its failure to arrest two Madhya Pradesh police officers accused in the custodial death of a tribal youth. The court’s concern over custodial violence is both timely and necessary. However, this assertiveness appears selective when it comes to allegations involving members of the judiciary. In a striking contrast, a room filled with burnt currency notes was reportedly discovered in the residence of a Delhi High Court judge. In last seven months, Supreme Court has refused to entertain pleas seeking the registration of FIR against the said judge though an in-house judicial inquiry found him guilty of misconduct. This stark contrast in institutional response raises uncomfortable questions. Why does the system move swiftly against police misconduct but hesitate when allegations touch the judiciary? Is justice truly blind, or does it peek through the blindfold when one of its own is involved?
In another disturbing case, a 2019-batch IAS officer in Madhya Pradesh allegedly accepted a Rs 10 crore bribe to reduce a Rs 50 crore penalty imposed upon a private Company for illegal mining to just Rs 40,000. Yet, no inquiry has been initiated.
Another significant corruption scandal has emerged in Uttar Pradesh, involving a group of Goods and Services Tax (GST) officials accused of acquiring disproportionate assets by purchasing vast tracts of mineral-rich land, including a hill, worth over Rs 200 crores in the Purvanchal region through benami transactions to conceal ownership.
Last week, the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, issued tenders to procure seven luxury BMW vehicles, each reportedly costing Rs 70 lakh. The decision has drawn public scrutiny, raising concerns about the institution’s spending priorities and its adherence to fiscal prudence.
Against this backdrop, we are observing Vigilance Awareness Week from today. Across the country, school children will march in rallies, and departments will host seminars, lectures, and pledge ceremonies, all aimed at raising awareness about corruption.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), as part of its efforts to promote probity in public life and to achieve a corruption free society, has been observing ‘Vigilance Awareness Week’ every year since 2000 and this happens to be the week within which the birthday of Late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel falls on the 31st of October. “Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility” is the theme for this year Vigilance Awareness Week beginning October 27 to November 2, 2025.
The CVC believes that corruption is not just unethical, it’s corrosive. It undermines trust in public institutions and damages the social fabric. Looking back, ‘Say no to Corruption-Commit to the Nation’ and ‘Culture of Integrity for Nation’s Prosperity’ has been the themes in the year 2023 and 2024 respectively. Evidently, corruption remains at the centre stage in vigilance awareness week every year.
Despite these efforts, corruption continues to thrive in many corners of public administration. What’s missing is strong enforcement. Around the world, countries that have tackled corruption head on, like Singapore, have done so by combining tough laws with uncompromising implementation. Singapore transformed from one of the most corrupt nations in the mid-20th century to one of the cleanest today.
In India, however, the lack of accountability for past wrongdoers has created a dangerous precedent. When corrupt individuals go unpunished, it sends a signal that wrongdoing has no consequences.
Fighting corruption is not just the Government’s job, the public must share the responsibility. Both sides need to work together. But many cases of corruption are never reported. People often don’t trust that their complaints will be heard or lead to action. Some are scared of revenge, especially when powerful people are involved. So, they stay quiet.
The only effective solution is to set strong examples, by holding even the most powerful individuals accountable for their acts of omission and commission, whether through negligence or wrongdoing. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.
A few years ago, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India presented an audit report in Parliament revealing major irregularities in the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) funds in Jammu and Kashmir. The CAG found that crore of rupees meant for victims of the September 2014 floods were instead given to wealthy business houses and billionaires who were not eligible for the relief. Despite the CAG’s recommendation to recover the misused funds, not a single penny has been recovered till date. When things like this happen, people start to believe that the law treats powerful and rich people differently than ordinary citizens
There is still hope. With the rise of the internet and social media, information now spreads rapidly in all directions. It can no longer be contained, and it inevitably reaches the authorities. Anti-corruption agencies are steadily improving their efforts and actively involving the public through these digital platforms.
Today, the fight against corruption is a shared responsibility. Authorities and citizens must work together. People should act as the eyes and ears of anti-corruption bodies, reporting every case of corruption, favoritism, and abuse of power.
Vigilance Awareness Week is more than just a yearly event. It serves as a reminder that integrity in governance is not optional but essential. Justice must be timely and fair. Every citizen, from schoolchildren to senior officials, has a role in building a corruption-free India.
Let’s not just observe this week. Let’s live it. Let’s act on it. Because vigilance is, and always will be, our shared responsibility.
(The writer is a freelancer)
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