PopTech : Blog : Vijay Anand, anti-corruption crusader

Vijay Anand, anti-corruption crusader

Emily Spivack ( Bio / Posts ) | Wednesday, May 18, 2011 UTC

Corruption is pervasive in India. It touches people from all walks of life who are going about their daily routines. From enrolling in school to securing a passport to obtaining a birth certificate – if you want it, you’ll have to pay a bribe to someone for it. PopTech 2010 presenter Vijay Anand summarized, “In a country like India, it’s a day-to-day affair. A citizen, regardless of his wealth, regardless of his education status or social status, cannot live his or her life without paying a bribe for anything and everything.”

Fed up with constantly being confronted with this bribery, Anand co-founded the 5^th Pillar, an organization dedicated to providing citizens with tools to fight corruption. He’s also launched one of India’s most successful anti-corruption campaigns with the Zero Rupee note, a bill that looks like currency but allows citizens to refuse bribery without fear. As Anand explained, it’s a “very handy tool to shame the people who take bribes in public offices in broad daylight right in front of people.”