CORRUPTION

Madhya Pradesh's embattled Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has welcomed the Supreme Court's move to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into what has come to be called the Vyapam scam, but with 6,562 corruption cases pending trial, justice through the overstretched agency is unlikely to be quick. The CBI must first investigate the Vyapam case, which will mean tracking down thousands of of suspects and witnesses and following a complex eight-year trail (the scandal first came to light in 2007). After investigation, it must file a charge-sheet. Only then will the case go to trial.

Probably the biggest scam that taints the present governance in the country, Vyapam scam growsn murkier and mysterious by the day. While news reports suggest that there have been 42 deaths till date, the one link that joins all of them is mystery. The fact that anybody related to the corrupt recruitment drive is being 'eliminated' is what tempts one to dig deeper.  What is Vyapam scam? A massive admission and recruitment scam, involving politicians, recruiters and government officials, the Vyapam scam has also looped in some of the top businessmen who have offered or received huge bribes for top posts in government offices. Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) with the Hindi acronym VYAPAM is a government body responsible for conducting entrance tests in the state to top educational institutes and government offices. Unfortunately, this opportunity was alleged to have given scope to undeserving candidates to get top Jobs at the cost of hefty bribes.