The term “Bribe” is used for any amount of money or other valuables given to a person in exchange for an undue favor. It is given to obtain favors from the receiver, which he wouldn’t give in otherwise normal circumstances. Bribe may be in the form of money, goods, property rights, shares, emoluments or other pleasures. The exchange of bribe leads to corruption and obstructs the economic growth of a nation.
Long and Short Essay on Bribe
Essay on Bribery and Corruption (250 Words)
Introduction
A bribe is defined as a sum of money or other valuables offered to a person in order to persuade him/her to act in one’s favor. The bribe offered could be in the form of money or other valuables and the favor thus obtained could range from an illegal contract, issue of licenses, escaping conviction to obtaining undue favors in promotion and postings.
How Bribe is Related to Corruption
The practice of bribery breeds corruption. In other words, corruption is the most immediate consequence of bribery. Both are also inseparable and one’s presence indicates another’s as well. Giving a bribe or accepting it, is an integral part of corruption. Where there is corruption, there has to be an exchange of bribe and vice versa.
Bribery is an agreement between two parties mutually agreeing to collude in illegal practices. Such collusion is bound to negatively affect the nation’s economy. Bribery leads to corruption and corruption becomes a habit, an everyday affair for the government as well as for the people. It becomes a general perception of people that for getting any work done, they have to pay to the public servants.
The public servants, on the other hand, become vocal in demanding favors, thus resulting in rampant corruption. This vicious cycle of bribery and corruption continues obstructing the nation’s growth unless the laws banning bribery are strictly implemented at all levels of administration.
Conclusion
Corruption and bribery are inseparable and one is the reflection of others. If the instances of bribery are controlled, corruption will automatically get eliminated. Government and other relevant agencies should improve vigilance in bribery-related cases and fast prosecution. Also, the general public should be discouraged from offering a bribe to any of the public representatives in any circumstances. People should be informed about the effects of bribery and that corruption could be a real setback to the nation’s growth and development.
Essay on Bribe (Its Impacts and Laws) (400 Words)
Introduction
The bribe is the gratification given to a public officer or representative, in order to influence his/her decision and making it favorable for the bribe giver or his/her accomplices. The gratification may be in the form of money, jewels, property or other valuables.
Impacts of Bribery
The act of bribery is the main cause behind the rampant corruption and poor state of public amenities in a developing nation like India. It has long-lasting degrading effects on the nation’s economy and overall growth. Bribery implies corruption, hence leading to loss of the nation’s money and valuable resources, pushing it back on development and obstructing its economic growth.
Moreover, uncontrolled corruption in the public sector discourages small businesses to come up, ultimately resulting in a stalled economy. Payments paid to the government officials for licensing and other paper works, discourage small businesses from flourishing, ultimately resulting in low employment opportunities.
It also results in poverty and unemployment. Due to rampant corruption in the public sector, it has become difficult for the government of India to eradicate poverty. The welfare scheme for the poor cannot be implemented effectively and the money assigned doesn’t reach the beneficiaries.
Laws to Eliminate Bribery
The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 is an act passed by the government of India, criminalizing the receipt of any kind of gratification by any public servant and also providing such gratification by any member of the public. The act also targets the middlemen who act as a liaison between the two parties.
The penalties include imprisonment ranging from six months to ten years and a fine depending upon the amount of bribe exchanged. The stricter actions might include the confiscation and sale of the property of the accused.
Under the PCA, even an agreement between two parties for the exchange of bribe is a criminal offense and enough to attract prosecution, even if no exchange of bribe took place.
Also, the government officials in India are bound to conduct themselves in accordance with the service rules. These rules prohibit the officials from receiving gifts and other pleasures from persons other than near relatives or friends, with no business intentions.
Conclusion
The practice of bribery is a potential hindrance to India’s economic growth. It makes the system unstable and promotes corruption, resulting in other serious consequences like – poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, poor public amenities, poor infrastructure, etc. It is therefore imperative for India to have strong monitoring of bribery cases and enforcement of laws prohibiting such illegal practices.
Essay on Say No to Bribery (500 Words)
Introduction
The bribe is the money or other monetary benefit offered to a person, in order to influence his/her decision in favor of the giver. Money, jewelry, property or other valuables, resulting in an inappropriate collection of wealth by the receiver, constitutes a bribe. It is also the seed of corruption which poses a threat to the country’s development.
Bribe – A Crime
Under Indian law, it is illegal not only to accept the bribe but also to pay a bribe in exchange for a favor. It is a criminal offense committed by both the receiver and the giver of the bribe. The bribe is an illegal payment given to a party asking for undue favor in return.
The Indian Penal Code (IPC) defines bribery in section 171B as –
- Giving gratifications to a person, in order to reward him/her, for exercising rights in favor of the giver.
- Accepting gratifications for himself/herself or on behalf of someone else, in an attempt to persuade him to make a favorable decision.
Bribery in India is a punishable offense. Punishment includes fines, imprisonment or both depending on the nature and amount of bribe exchanged. Even someone, who attempts to bribe a government official, could be punished with imprisonment for a term of three years which might also include fine.
Say No to Bribery
The only immediate solution to eliminate the practice of bribe is to neither demand nor give it under any circumstances. Today, India is a fast developing nation, with one of the world’s fastest-growing economy. But, there is also the dark side of the story, i.e. corruption. Corruption is present at all levels of administration. Not only government employees, but also officials of private organizations and banks are often seen involved in corrupt practices.
The common Indian conception that one has to bribe a government employee/official to get the job done only promotes such illegal practices. How often you have escaped a legal action even after flouting traffic rules, by simply paying money to the traffic police official. How often you have bribed the train ticket examiner (TTE) to remain aboard a train or in the class otherwise not permissible. The main problem lies in our acceptance of considering bribe as a business as usual.
By bribing the officials and discouraging them from following their duty, we are only partnering in the crime. As long as we concede to the illegal demands of such officials, it will be impossible to eliminate corruption from India. For that, we need to make a stern resolve to say no to bribery. Resolve to neither demand nor give a bribe, whatever the matter may be. Things will begin to change only when we say no to bribery.
Conclusion
Today, India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. There is development all around us; new roads are being constructed every day, new buildings are coming up, welfare schemes and projects of public interest are being announced. In such a stage of development, bribery is a hindrance to the nation’s development and economic growth. Strict laws and vigilance must be in place to check any act of bribery; also general public must be made aware of the ill effects of bribery practices and must be persuaded to say no to any illegitimate demands by any public official.
Essay on Meaning, Types, Causes, Effects, and Solutions of Bribery (600 Words)
Introduction
“Bribery” is an act of giving or receiving money or anything valuable, in exchange for a favor in return. Bribery is most commonly defined as offering money to a government official or any other person on public duty to influence his/her decisions to favor the bribe giver. The bribe thus offered could be in the form of cash, jewels, property, etc.
Types of Bribery
The act of bribery is not limited to the exchange of cash only; rather, it has many constituents like – gifts, property, perks, waivers, sweetheart deals, kickbacks, etc. However, bribery could be broadly classified into the following five types as defined below-
1) Kickback
Kickback or Payback is offering money or other valuables in order to get a favorable decision from the receiver. It is usually a kind of mutual agreement between the two parties to cooperate in illegal activities.
2) Bribing of Government Official
Any government official must function within the parameters of the law, and make necessary decisions without unduly favoring any individual or agency. Nevertheless, some individuals offer a bribe to government officials or employees, in order to get a favor or to waive off legal action.
3) Bribery of Witnesses
This type of bribery constitutes the bribe accepted by a judicial witness in order to give an altered or favorable testimony with the objective of influencing the decision of the judicial body in favor of the provider of bribe.
4) Bribery of Bank Officials
This type of bribery constitutes, bribing a bank official in order to obtain undue favors in the form of a loan or waiver, which would not be possible in otherwise normal circumstances.
5) Sporting Bribe
This type of bribery is related to sporting events. It constitutes bribing the sports officials, referees or sportsmen to influence the outcome of a sporting event. Any sports official unduly favoring a candidate over others in exchange for money also falls under this category.
Causes of Bribery
The most significant factors responsible for bribery are – nontransparency and unaccountability in the functioning of government and other relevant agencies. A non-transparent decision taken by a government official provides a loophole allowing him/her to convene with other parties for a mutually agreeable exchange of benefits, which could go undetected. This leads to rampant corruption, which is only fuelled by the unaccountability of government employees as well as low general awareness of public or illiteracy.
Effects of Bribery
The practice of bribery has a wide range of impacts on people and society. Firstly, it reduces the trust of common people in the government machinery. Moreover, it makes the economy unstable, increases corruption, resulting in poor public amenities, poverty, and illiteracy.
In a developing nation like India, bribery is a big pullback on the economy. The practice of accepting/giving bribes could hamper the growth of public welfare schemes and the quality of work. Government officials may collude with the contractors or other relevant agencies, in order to provide monetary benefits, ultimately compromising the quality of work.
Bribery could also influence the voter, to vote for an inappropriate electoral candidate, to whom he/she wouldn’t have voted for, under normal circumstances. This ultimately results in a corrupt public representative and an unstable government.
Solutions to Bribery
Some of the significant solutions to eliminate the practice of bribery are provided below-
1) Public Awareness
The general public plays a significant role in promoting the practice of bribery, by being a party or else by just being silent witnesses. Someone could accept bribes only when we are ready to give. People bribe the police officer to not get fined for violations, bribing the train ticket examiner while traveling without a ticket; all such acts promote bribery and must be rejected by the common person.
2) Strict Laws
Strict laws must be formed in order to eliminate bribery practices. Both the givers and receiver should be equivalently punished, to set an example for others and deter them from following similar practices.
3) Better Vigilance
Agencies responsible for looking over the charges of bribery must keep a strong vigil on the accused parties. Such agencies need to work in coordination with agencies like banks and the land records department in order to know any large money or property transactions.
Conclusion
Bribery is a practice that is harmful to the economic as well as social growth of India. It has the potential to send the nation decades back on the path of progress. There is a need to raise public awareness about the ill effects of bribery and persuade them for reporting such illegal transactions.
