Fog has always been part of winters in Delhi and surrounding areas. Even 40 years ago, one can recall driving through fog was tough task and planes used to be diverted on failing to land. But office and schools used to be open. It was much later somewhere in 2017 that people started calling it 'smog' because instruments to measure pollutants in same suspended 'fog' particles had arrived and installed and started giving some numbers we call AQI. Smart watched and phones too showed out these numbers adding to our concern or rather panic. Life changed, masks arrived, schools closed and traffic evened on odds !!! Were there those same farmers burning paralii half century ago also? Or, were there those thousands of factories surrounding NCR spewing pollution into the air unchecked as can even be seen today. Go out and drive through radial highways from Delhi in early hours couple of hundred miles after midnight and watch chimneys making clouds. Farmers and car owners come last in this blame game actually.
Corruption in India: why to blame bureaucracy
Cause at the root of degrading society is the political corruption that gnaws. Majority of the bureaucracy is merely pliable and submissive, not always corrupt individually. Having an option most would not go for it. They are unfortunately executing or operational hands of the corruption machine which is more visible and thus identifiable when investigated. Also, once the greed at top is kept nourished, everyone down is permitted to taste other means of garnering wealth with seeming protection. It’s broad and lengthy task to achieve corruption free country. Possible though.
Elections must be made most affordable to run so that even a minion worker, street vendor or a tribe head but having stricter credentials of integrity, education, proven legacy and some legally bound commitment, is able to contest There should be zero campaigning using commercial means. No rallies, road shows or adverts or sponsorships to be permitted. Only personal social media to approach public with credentials. Elections must be a silent affair. This will eliminate commitments of returning favours the contestants make to ‘business houses’ and ‘contractor’ and other ‘promotors’ in lieu of money they get for running elections. That is the root of corruption they institutionalise when get elected. People with integrity would be able to ascend up the power ladder and attempt to cleanse the system.