A young lot of the country is unaware of red taping in public departments of the country till the age of eighteen. After entering into the second-last year of teenage, the youth begins visiting different offices for various purposes e.g. NADRA for identity cards, Passport office for passports, etc. Most people get a bad taste when they witness the shocking behavior of the workers and managers in the concerned offices. Later on, get used to this kind of flavor. Therefore, that typical taste- which people usually did not have before the age of 18- is not new anymore in the later part of life. In this regard, I have had similar experiences too. However, the one I witnessed lately vibrated my brain cells. Thus, I thought to diagnose the actual causes and roots of this menace.
It is pertinent to highlight that our modes of the class have been virtual due to the pandemic since last year. And this form of attending classes continues till date. During online classes, I found an opportunity to apply for an official card that I had long been planning about. Henceforth, I was shocked like every new visitor- after I visited the concerned department. It is legitimate to think about the long queues we stand in at different offices as a citizen. It is equally legitimate to study the ills and remedies.
Let us analyze what corruption is. It is performing any task poorly- when you have the acumen to do it up to the mark. This habit does not develop instantaneously; it is a gradual process. This is something that begins when we are growing-children. For instance, some kids develop the habit of concealing some rupees from their parents’ purses. This is the occasion when seeds of corruption are sown in individuals and witnessed by society once the young ones have grown up. This act is a cornerstone for the would-be misdeeds performed in the future.
A similar example can be observed in the kids admitted to an educational institute. The kids are treated and receive ideal ‘tarbiya’ during the initial phase. As long as they do not reach up to 9th grade, they are morally sincere to themselves, their family, and the country both verbally and actually. Nonetheless, the story metamorphoses and the picture distorts when the students take their maiden board examinations i.e. secondary school level. We as citizens and Muslims have nose-dived to a miserable level that cheating is practiced in most of the examination centers. We do not even consider cheating as something bad. In fact, it is not bad only but it is disastrous.
The board examination 2021 for class 9th ended in Baluchistan Province in the last Ramadhan. The point to be noted is that the students taking exams cheated as usual. The cheating intensity was highest in few regions where students got assurance of getting marks according to their will and wish without even sitting in the exam halls; simply by paying a fixed amount of money. Let us not forget should that students appearing in exams today shall be public office holders in the country in the coming years.
Another facet of moral corruption got exposed due to the epidemic; regarding university students who were mature enough to sense the importance of education amidst coronavirus. But the situation has been different. Instead of giving extra time to studies, the graduating students did not seem sincere in their work. They were not attentive and punctual during virtual classes. One might think that they do so because they do know they will be using unfair means in the examination. It suggests that they are unaware of the ethical and moral responsibilities in the offices they will hold in the years to come. Unfortunately, illegal sources make tough exams a walk in the park. On the contrary, their life gets equally tough in practical life.
The point to ponder is that to progress as a nation, we must get rid of this menace. The process had better begin where it grows i.e. we should groom our children in families and educational institutes continuously and consistently. Courses that gauge the honesty and behavior of the students must be introduced in the schools. In such subjects, the yardstick should not be numbers or the race of 1,2,3.
The least we should do is the making of schools, colleges, and universities corruption-free. Corruption in education produces future corrupts in the community. We cannot condone the embedded disease in our blood anymore. So, let us nip it in the bud before it is too late.
