Stressing on the need for greater transparency in public life, he said simplifying rules and procedures, such as the ban on post-tender negotiations, will help stem the rot. This must be followed with effective punishment, which means confiscating ill-gotten wealth. While the Corrupt Public Service Servants (Forfeiture of Property) Act has been drafted with this view, the usefulness of the Act depends on when and if it is enacted.

Vittal proposed that FICCI, ASSOCHAM and CII sign a convention along the lines of the Anti-bribery Convention that 89 countries with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development came up with in their attempt to tackle global corruption.

The CVC said the Indian system facilitates a framework that encourages corruptionand allows the person in power to escape punishment. In order to change this, public apathy must change to antipathy. Transparent functioning will go a long way in achieving this, he added.

Vittal also said the media must concentrate on the supply side of corruption and not just on the demand side in order to weed out bribery from within the system.