Bengaluru: Alleging that corruption has reached alarming levels across the country, the Citizen Rights Foundation (CRF) has submitted a 700-page report to the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Union Law Minister, calling for comprehensive amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The representation, submitted on February 9, seeks the enactment of stricter anti-corruption provisions, including life imprisonment and capital punishment in severe cases, to enforce what the organisation termed a “zero tolerance” policy against systemic corruption.
CRF, which has filed several public interest litigations in corruption-related matters, said its report documents cases and patterns of alleged corruption across multiple states. The organisation has urged the Centre to intervene urgently, arguing that existing legal mechanisms are inadequate to deter high-level corruption.
In his petition, CRF president K.A. Paul described corruption as a “systemic disease” that weakens institutions, erodes public trust and undermines the rule of law. “Corruption is not merely an administrative failure; it is a betrayal of constitutional values and a serious obstacle to India’s development,” he stated.
The foundation cited past Supreme Court observations, including in Government of Maharashtra vs Pallonji Darabsha Daruwala (1987), where corruption was described as a “cancer” affecting the nation’s moral fabric, and Shanti Pyare Lal vs Government of UP (1991), where it was termed a “social disease” requiring determined eradication.
According to CRF, the consequences of corruption are borne not only by the state but by honest taxpayers and economically weaker sections who depend on public services. The organisation contended that despite the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, corruption continues due to what it described as inadequate enforcement and lenient punishments.
Calling for stronger deterrent measures, the CRF has appealed to the Centre to introduce amendments that ensure stringent penalties and swift prosecution in corruption cases.
There was no immediate response from the central government to the foundation’s submission.
