SSC Stenographer 2024 PYQ — Question 29

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Everything that departs from righteousness could be considered corrupt, taken in a broad sense. However, we all possess traits like fear, egotism, greed, sloth, and wrath. We tend to travel in the wrong direction when the proportion of negative qualities is noticeably higher than the positive ones like honesty, purity, and serenity. The core cause of corruption is the innate tendency to be affected by external factors. Since the beginning of time, it has existed. However, sincerity and integrity are crucial in many aspects of life, including interpersonal relationships, the workplace, commerce, government, and the legal system. The abuse of authority for personal gain is corruption. We believe that the cost of food, access to clean drinking water, economic possibilities, and housing amenities are fundamental needs for every citizen. However, the government spends a lot of money on infrastructure initiatives like constructing flyovers, modernising airports, and fostering economic growth.
Have you ever wondered why this is the case? Why can’t we address social ills like poverty and illiteracy? It’s because we’ve grown accustomed to living with corruption as the standard. The integrity of our own and other people’s behaviour bothers us the least. Therefore, there is a loss of integrity on a monetary, intellectual, and moral level. Even after years of independence, we still worry about societal bias, safety, and economic slowdowns. In today’s world, bribery is used to obtain government contracts, licences, and patents, avoid paying taxes, and other things. Low and mid-level authorities frequently abuse their authority to provide necessary products and services. We typically take into account bribes in addition to the agreed-upon price. However, high-level corruption in both the public and corporate sectors leads to the manipulation of laws and regulations, which may have a negative impact on the general public. The prevalence of widespread corruption in the system puts a country's economy in jeopardy. Negative factors impeding our growth include the massive mountain of non-performing assets, a lack of foreign investment, and schedule and cost overruns on infrastructure projects. Additionally, our administrative processes are drenched in red tape and require bribes at every turn. To begin any business activity, a lot of paperwork is required, and hundreds of rules must be followed. It makes us unwelcoming and makes it challenging for foreigners to invest here. Project delays and cancellations are also brought on by red tape. The fundamental cause of social disparity is corruption. The poor are particularly hard hit. Not everyone has the financial means to pay bribes. Additionally, although there are more pipeline, dam, and refinery developments in our area, not everyone has access to basic necessities like roads, schools, and hospitals. The stability of the nation may suffer from a divided community. Criminals are produced as a result, and they pose a threat to the rule of law. The entire population needs to be made aware of the problem, and those who wish to fight corruption should come together. We should determine the overall amount of money lost as a result of unethical behaviour and inform everyone of it. It is imperative that we monitor the money raised by political parties. Politicians’ earnings and wealth should be made available to the public. The Jan Lokpal bill revolutionised the war against corruption. However, just like earlier measures, it was modified to suit unscrupulous individuals. The general population has grown so accustomed to the wrongdoings that we now put up with unfair treatment and corrupt behaviour. Businesses and long-term thinkers dislike conflict with bureaucracy.