"Corruption is no longer password to opportunity, but passage to jail," says Vice President

NAGPUR: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar lauded the strides made in combating corruption on Monday, stating that corruption is no longer a password to opportunity but a passage to jail. "I would not make many reflections on corruption today. But one thing is for sure: power corridors have been duly neutralised of corrupt elements. Corruption is no longer a password to opportunity, a job or a contract. Corruption is a passage to a place that is jail. There is a paradigm shift and corruption no longer dictates our administration," Dhankhar said.

Vice President Dhankhar delivered the speech at the 76th batch valediction ceremony of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers held at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) in Nagpur today. Furthermore, Dhankhar underscored India's evolving global stature, proclaiming, "India is no longer a country with potential or a sleeping giant but is fast moving towards becoming a global power." He credited India's leadership for amplifying the voices of the global south, particularly during its G-20 presidency, emphasising the nation's growing influence on the world stage.

"During the G-20 presidency, we became the voice of the global south. Such a powerful combination of nations. Look at the GDP and population they represent and their voice is not being heard. It is now at a prominent platform thanks to Bharat and our visionary leadership," Dhankhar said. Reflecting on India's economic trajectory, Dhankhar highlighted the remarkable progress from being among the poorest nations to surpassing economies like France and the UK.

"One time, after independence, India was among the poorest countries in the world. Even in 1991, India's economy was smaller than that of cities like Paris and London. That was the size of India, which was known as 'Sone ki chidya' at one point in time. But today, India's economy is much ahead of the economies of France and the UK. In a matter of two years, India will be ahead of Japan and Germany," Dhankhar said.

"This traversing has taken place on account of policy formulations that suit our nation, on account of the vision that has been executed and on account of the bureaucracy that has brought it about," he added. In closing, Dhankhar reiterated India's status as the fastest-growing major economy. "India is the fastest growing major economy in the world. India is the fastest growing major economy in the world, with an average GDP growth rate of 6.5 percent to 7 percent," Dhankhar said.