(a) “Corruption causes misuse of government treasury, administrative inefficiency and obstruction in the path of national development.” Discuss Kautilya’s views. (b) How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?

(a) Kautilya's views on corruption

In the Arthashastra, Kautilya (Chanakya) treated corruption as an ever-present threat to the treasury and the state. His famous analogy holds that just as one cannot taste honey or poison on the tip of the tongue without tasting a little, an official handling the king's revenue cannot but taste at least some of the king's wealth. He catalogued some forty ways of embezzling state funds and prescribed sharp remedies: continuous surveillance through spies, transparent and audited accounts, rotation and checking of officials, rewards for informers, and swift, proportionate punishment. His insight — that corruption drains the treasury, breeds administrative inefficiency and obstructs national development — remains strikingly modern, anticipating today's vigilance, audit and transparency mechanisms.

(b) Social influence and persuasion in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Cleanliness is as much a behavioural challenge as an infrastructural one, so persuasion is central to the mission's success:

• Leadership modelling and authority: the Prime Minister and eminent citizens wielding the broom set a norm from the top (the principle of authority and liking).
• Social proof: publicising communities that became open-defecation-free created peer pressure to conform to the new norm.
• Commitment and consistency: public pledges and Swachhta oaths bound people to their stated intentions.
• Healthy competition: the Swachh Survekshan rankings of cities harnessed civic pride and rivalry.
• Nudges and messaging: emotive campaigns, mass media and community mobilisation shifted attitudes, especially on toilet use.

Together, Kautilya's message of integrity and vigilance and the modern science of persuasion show that clean governance and a clean nation both require aligning incentives, oversight and human motivation.