What if our ideologies about corruption weren’t true? What if the malpractice of corruption wasn’t just a psychological mindset of a few? What if it is a spreading pandemic, which is affecting millions of lives every day, everywhere. Don’t you believe this omnipresent disease needs an immediate cure? Don’t you think we should set out to find a cure for it. Take a moment to consider the prevalence of corruption in India.
Look here, look there, find smartphones everywhere. Many might say we are slaves to technology, but technology is the child of the human mind and manpower. Let’s brainwash this kid to point his guns at corruption. Click! Click! Capture every moment for a lifetime. Photos are our ever lasting impressions on the sands of time. Photography and videography were never gimmicks, soon to be forgotten like the latest trend. How many times have you sought out to accomplish a task that involved government offices and have gotten it done without falling prey to corruption. Breaking News!!! Mr. Public Official caught in the seductive spiral of corruption! How many of you would be glued to the television to find out more? Now, ask yourselves why did your curiosity pique? Do you feel victimized? Do you put yourself in the shoes of the common man who is a victim to this predator? The mass media are diversified media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place varies. Broadcast media such as radio, recorded music, film and television transmit their information electronically. That is the power of media! We have two ideas to combat corruption. First, the usage of video proof for policing and fining. Most of the common folk feel that they are harassed and fined many a times without cause. We were also part of this wicked cycle. This evocative feeling is the driving force of this idea. An effective and fair approach to the day to day fining and policing system. The videos would be taken by the enforcing bodies in the form of a camera and transmitter attached to their clothing. The videographical proof would be uploaded immediately to a public server which can be viewed indefinitely. This practice would give a sense of security that the enforcing body can be thoroughly scrutinized. These videos would even be available to the mass media which could invigorate the public and help the common man voice out his pain and helplessness. The cameras will be worn on the front of an officer's shirt. The move would be effective in combating crime. It documents the police and their behavior, and ensures they follow the proper protocol. A picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth millions. The video server would catalog every video by firstly categorizing by date, then sub-categorizing the video by the name of the government official to whose clothing the camera had been issued to and hence attached and finally further enumerating the videos by the time at which they were taken. This type of catalog would be for administrative purposes. On the public side of the server the videos would be linked to the individual’s single identification number, such that the person can only see those videos that are related to him. The association between the video and an individual’s single identification number would be made by using a fingerprint scanner linked to the body mounted camera, to identify the individual.The fingerprint scan details would provide a tag to the uploaded video that would help link it to the individual. The servers would store data for 6 months. If any complaint or action isn’t taken in regards to a transaction between government officials and the individual with whom the transaction took place, the video could then be deleted to prevent wasting excessive amounts of resources on creating new servers and maintaining old servers. Logging and viewing of the videos would require individuals to possess single identification cards and login passwords. The cards would bear a unique number.A password set initially by the government which could be modified by the cardholder would also be set. Using the unique number on the single identification card and the password, one could browse all the videos pertaining to him/her. Additionally the media could also be granted access to the videos present on the server in a similar manner,i.e. the use of login IDs and passwords issued to members of the media after thorough background checks. As stated before the media could then use the videos to help bring to light the plights faced by the common man, so that they can be addressed by the government. The use of body mounted cameras has recently cast the spotlight on weapon abuse by police officers. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, video footage from a police officer's lapel camera showed that in October last year, he had fired eight shots at a suspected carjacker who was running away, even though an earlier police account claimed the suspect had threatened the officer with a handgun. Mr Iswaran, Second Minister for Home Affairs, Singapore, said that leveraging on technology is an "important element" in the fight against crime. Between May 2012 and January 2014, footage from police cameras installed in HDB (Housing & Development Board, Singapore) blocks and multistorey car parks have helped to solve 48 crimes, and generated investigative leads for 195 other cases. We think the body worn video will prevent people from acting in a difficult or violent manner. We believe people will behave better when they know they're being recorded. Several police forces across Canada have experimented with body mounted cameras, though for the most part they have proceeded slowly. Municipal forces in Calgary and Toronto have recently announced plans to expand the use of cameras. Conversely, police departments have argued in favor of cameras to protect officers against unfounded allegations of abuse, insisting grainy cellphone videos that find their way onto YouTube that rarely tell the whole story. It'll show the officer using force but it won't show what led up to it. Having looked at both sides of the issue. There should be a system in place to protect both the interests of the policing force and the public. If there is any mistake by the enforcing body then there exists the ACP (Anti Corruption Police), which would punish any official who had been part of the egregious mistake. If there is a fault in the accusations made by the individual, then a court can look into the matter and resolve it. Our second idea involves extending the first idea beyond body mounted cameras to CCTV cameras present in government offices where there is a direct interaction between the people and the government. Corruption is a transaction that can take place only when the public wants to get the work done through public officials. This system would let the people have proof of their transactions with lower government employees. This proof would curb the rising problem of corruption. These videos will be made available to the public based on a single identification card. During the 2014 elections for the legislative assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha CCTV 24x7 was used to deter fraudulent conduct. Proof of its effectiveness in controlling the rampant corruption which is generally present during the elections.To curb entry of touts at government offices and bring transparency in administrative functioning, this system wold keep an eye on all such workplaces through CCTV cameras. A proposal in this regard has been prepared by the Government and sent to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung for his approval. The aim of the project is to reduce corruption at government offices and strengthen public grievance system. The offices which will be covered in the first phase could include regional transport offices, hospitals, sub-registrars offices and social welfare offices.The offices would be monitored through a control room. After receiving any complaints related to money sought by touts or bribe, CCTV footage will come handy in taking action. Mass Media always lean and hungry for root shaking news, especially when it comes to catching corrupt officials. A great method to generate high ratings and interesting news stories from the media’s point of view. These videos would create fear among the officials if they delve into dishonest and corrupt practices. The usage of video proof for policing and fining both within government offices and outside them as body mounted cameras are pivotal steps in the fight against a malady as cancerous as corruption. The power to affect the outcome of so many lives, lies not with elected officials but with the people. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed and the bitterness of men. The power they took from the people will return to the people.
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Susruth and AmanFighting corruption is not just good governance. It's self-defense. It's patriotism, says Joe Biden. We have put forth our idea to destroy this weed in our farms and hope to see it bearing some fruits. ArchivesCategories |