India is currently ranked among the ten most corrupt nations in the world. From the much-discussed nexus between the political class, the bureaucracy, businessmen and syndicates of organized crime, right down to rapacious government clerks, municipality apparatchiks and small-time swindlers, illegal projects at the cost of the national exchequer are the order of the day. According to a conservative estimate, the parallel economy in India today is worth about Rs 33,000 crores--roughly equal to the Gross Domestic Product. ...
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India is currently ranked among the ten most corrupt nations in the world. From the much-discussed nexus between the political class, the bureaucracy, businessmen and syndicates of organized crime, right down to rapacious government clerks, municipality apparatchiks and small-time swindlers, illegal projects at the cost of the national exchequer are the order of the day. According to a conservative estimate, the parallel economy in India today is worth about Rs 33,000 crores--roughly equal to the Gross Domestic Product. Chandan Mitra's detailed and incisive study traces the history of corruption in the subcontinent, from the time of Kautilya to the Mughal era, the East India Company days and finally post-Independence India. Discussing how the malaise has become institutionalized, the author delves into details of the alleged Bofors kickbacks, the fodder and bank securities scams, and 'hawala' money-laundering, linking these to covert government practices of using corruption as an instrument of state policy. everyday life, he presents a riveting account of the blatant 'hafta', 'chai-pani', 'cut' and 'black' systems of bribery that are prevalent today. Mitra's bold and provocative analysis documents how perpetrators of corrupt practices are always ahead of the authorities in devising means of bypassing anti-corruption laws and dodging law enforcement. At the same time, outlining the authoritative steps taken by judicial activists to stem the graft, The Corrupt Society attempts to devise practical means of combating corruption. Critical and unsparing, this is a scathing, explosive account of a deeply entrenched and pervasive social evil. Excerpt: 'India clearly qualifies in Machiavelli's second category of a corrupt society, one in which the citizenry, while actively participating in the political process through elections, is primarily engaged in promoting its own ambitions to the detriment of the common good
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
