Tiny news item in the papers today. Seems that the Central Bureau of Investigations or CBI has registered 2439 cases against uncivil servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act. This includes 78 cases against senior officers such as IAS, IPS, IRS and other services. We can be sure that this is the very tip of the proverbial iceberg. The vast majority of the uncivil servants in India are thieves but they do not get caught. This is because they protect each other as in Rathore's case, people who pay money to get their work done are afraid to complain because others will take revenge by holding up their work for years and the CBI needs permission from seniors to register a case which may not be forthcoming. It is surprising how the CBI was able to register any case against these few. It may be because these crooks got greedy and did not pass enough loot up the food chain. This all pervading corruption has a knock on effect throughout society. Contractors pay bribes to get work and hence cut corners. Roads in India develop huge craters after just one rain shower. People with money can get anything done , however illegal. The recent deaths due to fire in a building in Kolkata was because the owner had added two extra floors on top of an old building without permission and without regard for safety. If you want to build a house you have to pay bribes to have the land registered in your name, then to get building plans passed, then to get electricity and water connections, then to get completion certificate and so on. The result is that the people now think that corruption is the norm. When the entire population is corrupted the country is in grave danger.