The cases mentioned above have all broken out during the just concluded budget session in Parliament. Each of them has got wide media overage and had become subject of public gossip. Issues like ministers' involvement in IPL scam, the massive G2 spectrum allotment loss and phone tapping have all led to angry outbursts and adjournments in Parliament. But the tragedy of the UPA government has been its ostrich-like attitude towards the growing popular resentment over the spreading malaise of corruption

If one goes by the published cases of scams - those under CBI scan, already in judicial courts after the arrests and those brought to light by media exposures - it can be safely said that the present regime has the distinction of being on the top. No other government in India has had so many scams under them, both in terms of numbers and the volume of misappropriation, involved. Why such a surge of scandals under UPA2? Is it due to the lack of fear of authority? Or the culprits' confidence that they can ultimately get away with it by pulling the right strings? Why does the government remain a helpless spectator?

Lack of fear of authority seems to be the most crucial factor. Governments in the past had powerful PMs capable of putting things under tight lease. Watchful Left allies performed the watchdog role under the UF and up to mid-2008 under UPA. Narasimha Rao, when he chose to do so, acted promptly even when scams broke out under his finance minister. Vajpayee had shunted his minister at the first sign of a communication scam. Look at the G2 spectrum scam involving A. Raja. In May last, Congress wanted to kick him off. But Karunanidhi had put his foot down. Since then there have been a flood of evidence to pin down those involved in the scam estimated at between Rs. 60,000 and Rs. 1 lakh crores.

We have been told how a high-profile lobby firm influenced 'Spectrum Raja' in favour of certain corporates. The ongoing G3 auction has already fetched Rs. 55,000 crores whereas G2 was within four digits. At least three ministers are known to have been neck-deep in the IPL scam, by far the largest one in the 21st century. But Sashi Tharoor alone got the kick only thanks to A. K. Antony. Sharad Pawar or Praful Patel can be touched only at the cost of the government's survival.

Air India flight to Coimbatore was suddenly cancelled and passengers left high and dry just to charter the plane to carry the business friends of the minister's daughter. Soon another flight to Mumbai was diverted to Jaipur to pick up her IPL colleagues. Yet no authority in government asked any questions. Such is the kind of immunity the ministers and officials of this government enjoy. An impression is gaining ground that in this government any one can do anything and get away with it. All that you need is the right strings. How lightly has the IFS diplomat treated the investigations into the espionage charges against her in Pakistan. A joint director of RAW who had systematically passed on secretes to the US, is now safely settled in that country. There was no action.

It has been the same nonchalance with which a joint secretary in Chidambaram's home ministry has indulged in a Rs. 340 crore excise duty evasion scam. He has since been caught. Another senior home ministry official compromised the security of our paramilitary forces by settling for Rs. 20,000 substandard bullet-proof jackets, of course for a 'price'. The whole thing was bared by the rival firms and the CBI had to arrest the official. The story of the Medical Council chairman is more disgusting. A familiar face in the ministerial circuits in Delhi, last month he was caught taking a Rs. 2 crore bribe from a medical colleague for the MCI recognition. He had made 124 'inspection' visits in the last five months alone. One can imagine the extent of corruption by the very watchdog. which are supposed to ensure quality of medical education.

What we find today is the decay of the system. It is manifestation of the sheer leadership failure. Where is governance? The range of frauds and misappropriation and misuse of power by government agencies at higher levels are appalling. One reason for the lack of control has been the compartmentalized functioning of the political leadership. Rao and Vajpayee had enjoyed full authority and they exercised it when necessary. In UPA, PM's concerns are confined to the interests areas like reform agenda and US-related foreign policy affairs. Pranab Mukherjee's prime preoccupation for the past two months was getting his budget passed and doing troubleshooting as and when asked for.

The Sonia establishment, by far the most practical and close to the ground, is indeed capable of putting some order into the system. But her areas are party organization and aam aadmi programmes. What is lacking is a holistic approach to the business of administration. That explains the absence of a minimum oversight and fear of the big brother watching. We have nearly two dozen regulators and constitutional watchdogs. But the question is watching the very watchdogs. The rulers' excessive trust in free markets and the notion that stricter rules and regulations work against the concept of liberalization and deregulation, has also contributed to the system decay.

Then there are the believers in the might of Teflon. At one time, the Teflon coat around Rajiv and Rao were seen as impregnable. But we know what finally happened. In UPA's case, the spotlessly clean image of its top two will come under strain when sins pile up against the administration under them. Absence of an immediate alternative, ability to prove parliamentary majority and the favourable media projections may give the look of a thick Teflon coat. Yet it is time for the Congress leaders to take note of the changing public perceptions and check the rot. (IPA Service)