Society is said to be the most moral organization. To make society orderly, it is necessary to guarantee the subjective and objective happiness of its members. A moral society guarantees these happiness. A moral society is built if the character of an individual can be built through education, satsang and practice in the ideals of our existing moral values, which are accepted by society. Therefore, both sociology and political science have accepted humans as moral representatives.

At present, due to the lack of moral education, an atmosphere of greed, malice, hatred and hatred is emerging in our society. Immorality is increasing in all parts and components of society - from politics, business, education, all components of the state, religious institutions to civil society. Corruption and immorality are infecting society.

Saying that I control corruption and being successful in it are different matters. This is not like a small battle, but like fighting a great war.   Generally, corruption is defined as an economic crime. But this definition is narrow. Corruption, i.e. corrupt behavior, is a state of deviation from the moral values ​​accepted by society. Moral values ​​say what is right and what is wrong. If people can apply this in their behavior and practice, a moral society is formed. But this character building task is more difficult than acquiring spirituality. After the achievement of character, spirituality is an element that is acquired after a little practice. When the moral values ​​present in nature are incorporated into the personality building of a person, then character is built. If a good character is built, one is inspired to do good deeds, while if a bad character is built, one is inspired to do bad deeds. This is called the motivating factor of a person.

Even though we know that society condemns corruption as an immoral act, why does a person indulge in corruption? In response to this, we should discuss the factors that encourage corruption. Like other works, there are motivators. Economic, cultural and social motivators have worked. Poverty, wasteful spending habits and imitation of society are the main reasons for this. Similarly, personal motivating factors such as greed, personal ambition and utilitarianism inspire a person to do immoral acts. The famous writer Somerseth Wax said, ‘Money is the sixth sense, without which you cannot fully use the other five.’ Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Utilitarianism cannot explain moral relations because we cannot arrive at any moral law from utility.

Ethics is not an end in itself, but only a means to an end. Why should we be moral? If happiness is the ultimate goal of human life, why should I not be happy by causing others to suffer? Thus, the basis of utility is narrow.’ These same motivating factors corrupt people. Corruption also has a ‘hierarchy’ – political corruption at the highest level, corruption at the lowest level, corruption that moves from the bottom up and corruption that flows from the top down. The highest level of corruption is called ‘kleptocracy’. Dictators like Mobutu, Marcos, Suharto, Mugabe were ‘kleptocrats’. Political corruption is committed by high-level political and administrative officials. There is also a belief that lower-level employees commit ‘need-driven’ corruption because they cannot meet their daily expenses.

It is a belief that higher-level officials commit ‘greed-driven’ corruption. But it is difficult to draw the line between need and greed. In his book ‘Economics’, Kautilya has mentioned 40 ways in which the state treasury is embezzled. He says that the state should punish severely when corruption is discovered. Kautilya argues that corruption is not small or big, but a character flaw, and no one should be given any exemption.

A new government has now been formed. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which has won a majority, has promised ‘good conduct and good governance’ in its pact with the people. If we look at the language of the pact, we can see the political will to ruthlessly control corruption. Corruption can be controlled if the political leadership is honest and vigilant. The Asia-Pacific Journal has mentioned that corruption is less in low-income countries like Botswana and Chile than in developed countries.

During British rule, Hong Kong, China, was highly corrupt until the 1960s, but after McLehose became governor, it was almost free of corruption. He achieved amazing success by adopting a three-pronged strategy of education, prevention, and punishment. Due to the campaign started by Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, Singapore is still ranked number one in Asia and number three in the world in terms of corruption. He wrote in his autobiography, ‘Our only goal was to give the people a sense of clean and effective government.

At the oath-taking ceremony in June 1959, we wore white shirts and white pajamas as a symbol of cleanliness and honesty in private and public life. This was also what the people expected from us. Since assuming power, we have been confident that every dollar collected as revenue will be accounted for and will be delivered to the lowest level beneficiaries without any embezzlement.' This signal and determination of his was not just a slogan. He succeeded in implementing it with full determination. If the current Prime Minister sets out to control corruption with such determination, all Nepalis will be with him. 

Saying that he will control corruption and succeeding in it are two different things. This is not like a small battle, it is like fighting a great war. Its roots have spread everywhere. Since it is a white-collar crime, it is very difficult to detect. On top of that, the corruption business is very complicated due to the middlemen and brokers who incite people to do immoral things for their own benefit, entice them to bribe (the fulfillment side), and have been occupying offices for years. From clerks to lawyers, from customs agents to auditors, from training centers to consulting centers, from manpower agencies to travel agencies. These media outlets seem to be running shadow government offices.

On the other hand, there is a major change in the nature and technology of corruption. Due to the network of terrorism, illegal drug trade, cross-border transactions of bribes and various forms of money laundering, corruption through the use of high technology, etc., corruption has taken an international form. Another thing is that if a large part of the society is busy earning immoral money, no one wants to stand against corruption. Why stand in front of a moving vehicle, get on the vehicle if possible, and if not, get sidetracked, why get confused in work that will not change, why enjoy the entertainment of the queues that are playing the instrument? It seems that the citizens have developed negative thoughts like this. A grand campaign is necessary to break this situation.

On the other hand, when a society is already plagued by corruption, it becomes difficult to cure it. Niccolo Machiavelli said in his famous book ‘The Prince’, ‘Doctors say – Tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose in its early stages and easy to treat. While in the latter case, it is easy to diagnose and very difficult to treat.' His words also apply to the control of corruption in our country. Reports by international organizations have shown that the corruption situation in Nepal is alarming.

As long as the public is not aware that bribery is a heinous crime, it cannot be controlled.   In the 2025 report of Transparency International, Nepal has been ranked 109th out of 182 countries in the 'Corruption Perception Index' with a score of 34. Nepal's position is lower than that of SAARC countries India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. What is even more shocking is that the score of 35 two years ago has further declined to 34, after improving. This is a failure of Nepal's corruption control policies and strategies. Treating a disease that has already become fully infected is a very difficult task.

There is enthusiasm in the new government, there is also a rush to do something. But what is important to understand is that statecraft is not a game of emotions, nor is it a game of favoritism that makes people jump into a pond without water. If we really want to control corruption and provide good governance, the first thing we need to do is to earn the trust of the people by demonstrating a strong commitment to our promises. Taking steps to ruthlessly prohibit middlemen in frontline offices that work close to the people, arranging ‘help desks’ to facilitate the work they do, and forming ‘citizen courts’ in which the service-seeking citizens themselves are involved in providing advice and incorporating them into the structure and process of government offices can lead to unexpected improvements in public service delivery.

Like Estonia, ‘digitizing’ services as much as possible and making them effective by setting deadlines and reducing layers in matters such as contracts, litigation, and ownership transfer that require a decision-making process. Currently, the use of seamless bureaucracy has been introduced in the private sector, especially in banks. In government service delivery, regulations can also be made or delegated to specify which work is to be done by which position. Such steps help prevent 'petty corruption' or 'grim money'. It is very difficult to prevent policy corruption or 'grand corruption'. Because, this is possible only with the cooperation of high-level political leadership and high-level administrative leadership. To control this, the law should be amended so that only matters that are repeatedly reflected in decisions are considered 'policy decisions' and all other matters fall within the jurisdiction of the authority.

The bill on the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act was stalled due to disagreements on this issue in the dissolved parliament. Most of the corruption cases that have come out so far have been avoided by the authority under the cover of this policy decision. Whatever decision the Council of Ministers makes, if a policy decision is made, it will be limited to minor corruption such as the Control of Corruption Act and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority 'grim money'. Another issue is that no appointment to any position in which there is a conflict of interest should be made.

The new government should prepare the basis for controlling corruption by amending the necessary laws from the constitution. What the new government needs to understand is the lack of civic education. Until the public is aware that bribery is a heinous crime, it cannot be controlled. Because the supply side is as much responsible as the demand side. Those who do wrong seem to be working as the supply side of corruption because bribery provides a market, it eliminates competitors, it provides rare benefits, it reduces costs, it allows criminal acts to be committed. Even those who call themselves conscious citizens do not seem to be trying to create an anti-corruption public opinion.

Hong Kong's anti-corruption organization 'ICAC' had therefore implemented 'education' as one of the strategies in its three-pronged strategy. Similarly, Singapore's 'CPIB' seems to have adopted the strategy of eliminating laxity, manipulating officials, strict supervision, adequate remuneration, ombudsman and hotline in its four strategies. The new government of Nepal should also adopt a strategy to make the public aware of corruption. Civil society, charitable organizations, and the third sector can be effective in this. यी संस्थाहरूसँग सामाजिक ऊर्जा प्रवाह गर्ने क्षमता सरकारसँग भन्दा बढी हुन्छ भन्ने मान्यता बनेको छ । भ्रष्टाचारविरोधी संस्थाहरू निर्माण गर्न प्रोत्साहन गर्ने र सरकारले यी संस्थाहरूलाई भ्रष्टाचारविरोधी अभियानमा परिचालन गर्ने रणनीति लिनु आवश्यक छ । अब जनता नै भ्रष्टाचारविरुद्ध परिचालन हुनुपर्छ ।