The word ‘corrupt’ is an adjective, it is describes a noun or pronoun with their detail by specifying qualities. Corrupt means, a dishonest person, that are using their position or power to get an advantage, especially for monetary benefits. Whereas, the term ‘corruption’ defines the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It involves dishonest, illegal, or unethical behavior by individuals in positions of authority to secure illicit benefits, whether financial or preferential, at the expense of the public or an organization.
When you use the word corruption in the system, what does meaning of? A corruption system refers to institutionalized, systemic abuse of power where illicit practices become entrenched as everyday structural norms rather than isolated incidents. It thrives when networks of individuals bypass formal laws to secure political or economic privileges, often rendering the foundational processes of an organization or government dysfunctional
According to the Government of India, the purpose of education is to develop good, holistic human beings capable of rational thought, compassion, and creative imagination. It seeks to foster engaged, productive citizens who build an equitable, inclusive society, while driving the nation’s economic growth, cultural preservation, and global scientific advancement. The Ministry of Education outlines these core purposes through several key pillars:
1. Human and Holistic Development by the (a) Character Building: Moving away from rote learning to focus on building strong character, ethics, and emotional resilience. (b) 21st-Century Skills: Equipping learners with critical thinking, scientific temper, and creativity. (c) Cognitive and Physical Growth: Integrating arts, sciences, and vocational crafts so there are “no hard separations” between disciplines.
2. Social Justice and National Integration by (a) Equitable Society: Ensuring inclusive education for all socio-economically disadvantaged groups, including women, minorities, and rural populations. (b) Pluralism and Citizenship: Instilling a deep sense of constitutional values, civic responsibility, and respect for India’s rich diversity.
3. Economic Growth and Nation Building by (a) Skilled Workforce: Maximizing the country’s demographic dividend by producing highly skilled individuals ready to contribute to a developed, globally competitive economy. (b) Innovation and Progress: Supporting technological innovation, research, and scientific advancement to elevate India’s position on the global stage.
4. Cultural Preservation by (a) Rootedness: Ensuring learners appreciate their cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge, and local traditions while remaining globally aware. These objectives are the foundation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and are pursued by the Department of School Education & Literacy and the Ministry of Education to empower learners for life and nation-building.
The above discussion, in which the meaning and significance of the word corrupt and the term corruption have been explained, has also been explained about the benefits of getting education and the efforts of the Indian government to achieve the desired qualities with the help of the education system, etc. In the light of these concepts, objectives and explanations, pay attention to what is the situation of corruption and corrupt people through the education system prevalent in India in the present era? And in this background, can the objectives for which the government is actively working be achieved? Let us further explain what forms of corruption exist in the current education system in India. A few examples are listed below.
Common Types of Corruption: (i) Bribery: Offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting something of value (money, gifts, or favors) to improperly influence an official’s or decision-maker’s actions. (ii) Embezzlement & Fraud: Stealing or misusing funds and assets that have been entrusted to you (e.g., a manager siphoning company accounts or a politician diverting public funds). (iii) Nepotism & Cronyism: Using a position of power to unfairly favor family members (nepotism) or personal friends (cronyism) by giving them jobs or lucrative contracts regardless of their actual qualifications. (iv) Extortion: Coercing someone into giving money or property in exchange for performing (or not performing) a duty or service.
Prominent forms of corruption in the Indian education system include capitation fees and management quota bribery for admissions, systematic question paper leakages and cheating during high-stakes exams, high rates of teacher absenteeism, and the operation of fake universities. These unethical practices undermine educational quality and equity across the country. Key manifestations include:
1. Admissions and Capitation Fees: Donations and Quotas, many private institutions, particularly in professional courses like medical and engineering, exploit management quotas to demand exorbitant, under-the-table “capitation fees” in exchange for admission, overriding pure merit.
2. Examination and Assessment Frauds: (a) Paper Leaks: Organized exam rackets frequently leak highly competitive national and state-level entrance and recruitment test question papers, severely compromising the fairness of evaluations. (b) Malpractice and Manipulation: Corrupt invigilation, mass cheating, and manipulation of answer sheets distort the true academic standing of students.
3. Teacher Appointments and Administration: (a) Absenteeism and Ghost Teachers: Absentee rates in public schools are notably high. Some educators accept salaries for publicly funded positions but delegate their actual teaching duties to unqualified substitutes, or fail to show up entirely. (b) Bribery for Transfers: Bribes and political influence are frequently used by educators to secure lucrative or geographically favorable postings and promotions.
4. Fake Institutions and Degrees: Degree Mills, the proliferation of unaccredited, fake universities continues to be a persistent threat, deceiving students and employers with illegitimate qualifications.
5. Research and Accreditation Malpractice: (a) Predatory Publishing, rampant academic corruption, including plagiarism, fabricated research, and paid publication in dubious journals, harms the credibility of higher education and research. (b) Accreditation Bribery, pay-offs to regulatory bodies and academic inspectors are occasionally used to artificially inflate institutional ratings and secure government affiliations.
Corruption in financial auditing is another way, it occurs when auditors, management, or institutions manipulate the audit process to conceal financial fraud, bribery, or embezzlement. This usually manifests as a conflict of interest.
Common manifestations of audit corruption include: (a) Failures of independence: When auditing firms offer lucrative consulting or tax services to the companies they audit, this creates an inherent conflict of interest. The auditor may ignore irregularities to protect a larger revenue stream. (b) Opinion buying: Companies fire auditors who issue qualified (adverse) opinions and actively seek out, or seek out, more lenient firms willing to certify flawed financial statements. (c) Bribery and Collusion: Corrupt executives may directly bribe auditors or internal control officers to verify fraudulent accounts, turn a blind eye to embezzlement, or bypass compliance protocols. (d) Threats and Benefits: Management may pressure audit teams, threaten to terminate contracts, delay future work, or withhold important information until the auditor changes their report.
Some other Common Methods Used in Financial Fraud: (i) Earnings Manipulation: Inflating sales figures, engaging in “round-tripping” transactions with shell companies, or prematurely recording future earnings. (ii) Asset Misappropriation: Expense claims, payroll fraud, or unauthorized use/theft of company assets. (iii) Manipulation of reserves and estimates: Intentional misuse of accounting principles to hit targets or increase bonuses (e.g., hiding bad debts or artificially reducing reserve accounts).
At this juncture, it should also be kept in mind that corruption is present at every level in the current education system – from nursery and primary to secondary and senior secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate studies, PhD and PHD as well as various competitive examinations like UPSC. And the interesting thing is that the education and training of students is organized through this corrupt education system, with the expectation that an educated individual will prove to be a positive asset to himself, his parents, spouse and children, family, neighborhood, city, country and society as a whole.
Consider that if weaknesses have penetrated to the limit in an education system, its administrators, and the institutions engaged in its implementation, at every level of intellectual, theoretical, scientific, and practical, then how can the desired results be achieved, for which every individual focuses on these educational institutions and this educational system. The question also arises: What is the major weakness today that makes even educated and capable people feel compelled and helpless to eradicate the corruption that has spread in education and the education system?
Mohammad Asif Iqbal
New Delhi, India
maiqbaldelhi@gmail.com
9891113626
About the writer: Mohammad Asif Iqbal is an Indian columnist and freelance journalist from New Delhi. He has extensively written on rural India, his notable interests are poverty, structural inequities, caste discrimination, and socio-economic as well as educational issue of Indian society. He has written more than 300 columns on the issues.
