M A I N   N E W S

‘Corruption a threat to national security’
Neha Miglani
Tribune News Service

Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari being honoured by the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University RC Sobti at the university campus on Friday. Photo: Pradeep Tiwari

Chandigarh, April 9
Taking a stern view of corruption in governance and administrative malpractices, Vice-President of India M. Hamid Ansari today observed that national-level schemes like the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and food provision through the public distribution system were getting diluted because of corruption.

Delivering the VN Tewari memorial lecture at the Panjab University auditorium today, Ansari, who is also the Chancellor of the university, hinted at how large-scale corruption had penetrated all levels of governance and become a major threat to national security.

Also present at the function were Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator Shivraj Patil, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal and Panjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof RC Sobti.

Speaking on ‘Private ethics and public morality’, Ansari said, “The legal and administrative steps taken so far to improve ethical norms in the judiciary, executive and legislature have proved inadequate. There is a need of purposeful, result oriented approach.”

Ansari also read out observations of the report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission which states that the rising levels of corruption in various segments of our economy is resulting in large-scale generation of black money, serious economic offences and fraud and money laundering leading even to funding of terrorist activities which, in turn, has created a grave situation.

Reading further from the report, the Vice-President said the anti-corruption interventions taken so far were being seen to be ineffectual, and that the quality of politics had become such that honesty is considered incompatible with survival.

“The citizen is a victim of extortion and is compelled to pay a bribe in order to get a service,” said Ansari.

The memorial lecture was preceded by the screening of a gripping documentary on the university titled “Quest for Excellence; from 1880’s to the Present Day” prepared by students and teachers of the School of Communication Studies (SCS).

Meanwhile, representatives of students, teachers and of non-teaching staff of Panjab University expressed their disappointment as Ansari was immediately whisked away after the lecture. Neither the PUTA nor the non-teachers association or even the Panjab university campus student council representatives were able to present memorandums to the Chancellor.