Q. Corruption is not a new phenomenon in India. It has been prevalent in society since ancient times. History reveals that it was present even in the Mauryan period. Great scholar, Kautilya, mentions the pressure of forty types of corruption in his contemporary society. It was practiced even in the Mughal and Sultanate period. When the East India Company took control of the country, corruption reached a new height. Corruption in India has become so common that people now are averse to thinking of public life with it. Corruption has been defined variously by scholars. But the simple meaning of it is that corruption implies perversion of morality, integrity, character or duty out of mercenary motives, i.e. bribery, without any regard to honor, right, and justice. In other words, undue favor for anyone for some monetary or other gains is corruption.
Simultaneously, depriving the genuinely deserving of their right or privilege is also a corrupt practice. Shrinking from one’s duty or dereliction of duty are also forms of corruption. Besides, thefts, wastage of public property constitute varieties of corruption. Dishonesty, exploitation, malpractices, scams, and scandals are various manifestations of corruption.
Q. According to the passage, corruption is _____.