An Inquiry Into Vigilance and Corruption

This essential guide offers a clear-eyed examination of how vigilance and anti-corruption systems function in the real world, blending empirical analysis with surprising insights from ancient wisdom. Author Barun Kumar Sahu, drawing from his IAS background, tackles the central paradox of compliance work: the principle that "honesty is the best policy" often clashes with messy, on-the-ground realities. The book provides a practical framework for understanding corruption prevention, moving beyond theoretical ideals to address the counter-intuitive nature of ethical governance. It's a treatise built not on wishful thinking, but on a realistic assessment of how integrity systems succeed and fail.

What sets this work apart is its unflinching honesty about the challenges faced by those tasked with upholding standards in complex bureaucracies. Senior managers, policy-makers, and political practitioners will find invaluable perspective on navigating the gray areas where rules meet reality. By grounding its inquiry in both modern evidence and timeless philosophical concepts, the book offers a multidimensional approach to a perennially difficult subject. This is the kind of pragmatic wisdom that can genuinely shift how institutions approach the vital work of maintaining public trust.