In the integrity index of Transparency International, India stands very low. Discuss briefly the legal, political, economic, social and cultural factors that have caused the decline of public morality in India.
Approach · directive: “discuss briefly”
What it asks · Explain, under each of the five headings asked (legal, political, economic, social, cultural), why corruption and low public morality persist in India.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Set the context: India's low standing on Transparency International's index
- Discuss briefly the legal, political, economic, social and cultural factors behind the decline of public morality in India, under each head
Open with · Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index scores India well below the midpoint of its 0–100 scale, reflecting weak checks on abuse of public office.
Cover
- Legal: slow trials, low convictions and weak enforcement; the Prevention of Corruption Act, Lokpal Act 2013 and Whistle Blowers Act 2014 need effective implementation.
- Political: costly elections, opaque party funding, criminalisation of politics and patronage networks tie politicians to private interests.
- Economic: scarcity and discretionary controls create rents; black money, big public procurement and low pay at lower levels invite bribery.
- Social: public tolerance of petty corruption, kinship and caste networks, and weak citizen vigilance make corruption a routine transaction.
- Cultural: personal loyalties over public duty, deference to power, consumerism and status-seeking erode public values.
- Administrative: secrecy, excessive discretion and weak accountability; the Second ARC's report Ethics in Governance (2007) urged reform.
Close with · Reducing corruption needs credible enforcement, clean political funding, transparency and a culture of integrity from the family to the civil service.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 264 words (UPSC limit 200) · Minimalist IAS
Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index scores India well below the midpoint of its 0–100 scale, among countries where abuse of public office for private gain is seen as common. Public morality declines when law, incentives and social norms all stop punishing such abuse.
Legal factors
- Slow trials and low conviction rates blunt the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988; sanction for prosecuting officials is delayed or denied.
- New laws stay on paper: no Lokpal had been appointed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, and the Whistle Blowers Protection Act 2014 was not brought into operation.
Political factors
- Costly elections and opaque party funding push candidates to recover money in office; criminalisation of politics and patronage networks tie legislators to private interests.
Economic factors
- Discretionary control over land, mining, spectrum and licences creates rents; large public procurement, black money and low pay at the cutting edge invite bribery.
Social factors
- Tolerance of petty corruption as 'speed money', caste and kinship loyalties in appointments and contracts, and weak citizen vigilance make bribery a routine transaction.
Cultural factors
- Loyalty to family and community over public duty, deference to power, and a consumerism that measures worth by wealth erode the idea of office as a public trust.
The administrative thread
- Secrecy, excessive discretion and weak accountability run through all five; the Second ARC's report Ethics in Governance (2007) recommended a Lokpal, whistle-blower protection and cleaner election finance for this reason.
Restoring public morality needs laws that actually convict, transparent political finance, fewer discretionary controls and a civic culture that refuses to pay; enforcement and ethics must move together.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.