Expectation from Modi on rooting out corruption has not been met adequately

By NS Venkataraman*
Whatever the sworn critics of Mr. Narendra Modi , India’s Prime Minister, may say about his administration, the ground reality is that the cross section of Indians living across the country and observers abroad are of the view that India has changed for better in multiple directions during the last nine years after Mr. Modi has taken over as Prime Minister. Many international expert groups as well as UNO have now applauded India for it’s strong economic growth trajectory, even as several countries in the world are facing recessionary trends.
Several opinion survey carried out in recent time have clearly revealed that Mr. Modi is the most popular and charismatic leader in India and none of the leaders belonging to opposition political parties in India can match Mr. Modi with regard to his standing . Even some global agencies have hailed Mr. Modi as a very important and popular world leader.
In such circumstances., the result of the recent election in Karnataka state in India where Mr. Modi’s party has not been able to retain it’s power and lost to the opposition party, has come as a bolt from the blue.
There is now feverish debate across India as to why this has happened. While the sworn critics of Mr. Modi say that this Karnataka election verdict indicate the beginning of the end of Mr. Modi’s leadership, most discerning observers dismiss this view. One credible view is that the BJP party, which was in power in Karnataka , has not given the quality of governance that is expected of it and perhaps, there have been several incidents of corruption in the government machinery , which has disappointed the people of Karnataka. People must have been particularly disappointed , since ultimate leader of BJP is Mr. Modi.
When Mr. Modi was voted as Prime Minister of India nine years back, people recognised him as a strong and committed political leader with courage of conviction and high standard of personal integrity. Of course, people expected that Mr. Modi would launch and implement several development projects in Industrial, commercial and social sector and he has done this and people are satisfied about this. At the same time, people certainly expected that Mr. Modi would totally eradicate corruption in the country at every level.
The ground reality is that the expectation on rooting out corruption in the country has not been met adequately, inspite of Mr. Modi being the Prime Minister. Certainly, the central government under the direct administration of Mr. Modi remains corruption free and transparent but this is not so in the case of the several state governments. Still, people think that it is Mr. Modi’s responsibility to eliminate corruption even in state level, as he is a national leader with strong mandate.
With just around 12 months before the next parliamentary election, Mr. Modi has little time to lose in meeting the expectations of the people about eradicating corruption. While development projects are moving on well and the climate of growth has been steadily built up in the country which is likely to be sustained, the one point agenda for Mr. Modi in the coming twelve months should be his determined crusade against corruption. Of course, the anti corruption steps will be resisted and motives would be attributed . But, Mr. Modi has to move on and catch and punish the corrupt forces in all possible ways, that would give confidence to the people that corruption would be eliminated soon.
In the coming parliamentary election, Mr. Modi will be tested based on his success in the anti corruption drive.
Many Indians seem to think that the root cause for political corruption and consequent administrative corruption in the country is that almost all political parties in India , other than BJP and Communist / Marxist party, are family controlled and have vested interests. Such family control of political parties is viewed with disgust by the people. Perhaps, the pre condition to eliminate corruption is that the family control of political parties and consequent development of vested interests should be wiped out.
As a part of Mr. Modi’s anti corruption crusade, Mr. Modi should also launch a strong movement , criticising the dynasty politics in India. He needs to speak very strongly about this, which will be received well by the people and it would catch their imagination.
---
*Trustee, Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai

Comments

'Tax the top': Nationwide protests demand action as 1% control 40% of India’s wealth

By A Representative Civil rights groups across the country observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh on March 23, as people from diverse backgrounds united to raise their voices against growing economic inequality. The mobilisations marked the launch of a nationwide campaign against inequality, running from March 23 to April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), under the banner of the “Tax The Top” campaign.

Fair prices, fresh produce: Vegetable market opens in Rajasthan tribal village

By Vikas Meshram* On 18 March 2026, the tribal village of Sajjangarh in southern Rajasthan witnessed the grand and dignified inauguration of a new vegetable market (mandi). Established through the tireless joint efforts of the Krushi Avam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan (Bhilkuaan) and Vaagdhara, under the active leadership of the Gram Panchayat of Sajjangarh, the market is being hailed as a cornerstone for local self-governance, self-reliance, and a sustainable rural economy.

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Ex-IAS Atanu Chakraborty and a tale of two different Gujarat vision documents

By Rajiv Shah The likely appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as HDFC Bank chairman interested me for several reasons, but above all because I have interacted with him closely during my more than 14 year stint in Gandhinagar for the “Times of India”. One of the few decent Gujarat cadre bureaucrats, Chakraborty, belonging to the 1985 IAS batch, at least till I covered Sachivalaya was surely above controversies. He loved to remain faceless, never desired publicity, was professional to the core, and never indulged in loose talk. When he neared retirement, which happened in April 2020, first there were rumours in Sachivalaya that he would be appointed SEBI chairman, and then there was talk he would be chairman (or was it CEO?) of Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City (a dream project of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, which as Prime Minister Modi wants to promote, come what may). But, for some strange reasons, and I don’t know why, none of this happened, despite the fact...

Witnessing Iran beyond propaganda: Truth, war, and the path beyond western paradigm

By Naile Manjarrés On June 23, 2025—marked as the 2nd of Tir, 1404, on the Persian calendar—a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced. This "night of the decree" shifted the trajectory of global affairs; although the world may appear unchanged on the surface, we have yet to fully grasp its impact.

Environmental expert urges policy overhaul as forest and water resources face critical decline

By A Representative On the occasion of World Forest Day and World Water Day , observed on March 21 and 22, environmental voices from the Western Ghats have issued a stark warning to the Union government, calling for an urgent paradigm shift in how India manages its interconnected natural resources. In a formal communication addressed to Union Minister for Jal Shakti , Sri C R Patil , and Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change , Sri Bhupendra Yadav , policy analyst Shankar Sharma has highlighted a growing disconnect between sectoral policies and the holistic reality of resource governance.

Gujarat cadre to HDFC: When bureaucratic style hits corporate walls

By Rajiv Shah I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

A 366-metre gap, a million commuters affected: Kolkata metro delay hurts public interest

By Atanu Roy* Compromising the interests of ordinary people, the authorities concerned in West Bengal appear to be playing with the timeline of the Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line project , turning what should have been a transformative public transport corridor into a prolonged ordeal for commuters.

Search This Blog