Corruption as a Violation of Human Rights in India Event

Corruption violates human rights, undermines the rule of law, distorts the development process, and dis-empowers the Indian state. While there are laws against corruption in India, the gap between the law in the books and the law in practice is wide. Corruption violates human rights of the people of India as it hinders the process of fulfilling civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The unequal application of law leading to selective enforcement due to corruption creates an environment of scant regard for law, legal institutions and judicial process.

The talk will focus on the relationship between corruption and human rights and to what extent domestic law, international law, including human rights ought to influence national efforts in the fight against corruption. The presentation will critically examine from a comparative and international law perspective the legal and institutional approaches in the fight against corruption, and the growth and development of the right to information in India for creating greater transparency and accountability in governance. The talk will discuss the contemporary civil society initiatives and social movements in India to develop legislative measures and independent institutional mechanisms, including the establishment of the Lokpal, an independent commission against corruption (ICAC) similar to that of Hong Kong and Singapore to eliminate corruption.

The lecture is organised by our India Centre for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development jointly with Southampton Law School, to coincide with the commemoration of the United Nations Human Rights Day on 10 December. On the same day in 1948, the UN called for 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights' to proclaim the inalienable rights of human beings without any form of bias or discrimination.

Professor Raj Kumar is a prolific public speaker with an outstanding global reputation for his passion for higher education. He has written several books including a compelling manuscript on "Corruption and Human Rights in India: Comparative Perspectives on Transparency and Good Governance" by Oxford University Publishers.