Sushant Singh Rajput's sudden demise is still a question but one thing which became the talk of the town is nepotism. Though nepotism has its roots engraved in several socio-political domains and one can see its records significantly, it became a tittle-tattle after his demise. It is alleged that Sushant Singh's demise was a by-product of rampant nepotism and unspoken boycott done by several stereotypical Bollywood biggies who are intolerant towards outsiders. Moreover, nepotism is a concept that plunges into every single sector of the society we live in. With this essay, I would like to manifold its socio-economic origins, its all-pervasive nature, and realization.

What is Nepotism?

Nepotism is all about favoritism. Favoritism in appointing or giving an opportunity to work in every possible field of human endeavor including politics, corporate sectors, educational institutions, and many more. The term ' Nepotism' was coined after looking at the Catholic bishops whose wealth, priesthood, and property were completely bequeathed to their nephews. Additionally, nephews were usually their illegitimate offsprings, and solely, this was the way by which their clergy could have inherited the property and the position amongst the family. Nepotism is as boisterous as every other bad facet in society but because of its surreptitious nature and as every single individual enlist it, it is never talked about.

Ascertaining the roots of nepotism

Humans try to regiment the sources of prosperity- may it be movable or immovable property, social designation, the political potential for the benefit of its kith and kin. The transcendent theory of kingship was premeditated ethical and natural. The political and kingship remained in the family legacy on the notion of morality and primogeniture. Undoubtedly, if this wouldn't have prevailed at that time, nepotism wouldn't have existed now. Taking western culture into consideration, Plato divided three working classes. In India, the caste and community monopoly has existed ever since the Post-Vedic period. This division on the notion of purity and human qualities makes nepotism even worse by laying the foundation of structural nepotism. Technically, these divisions certainly cannot be an example of nepotism but the ideologies of functional speciality. The notion of gaining skills and its kith and kin-based monopoly is definitely, a social sanction which in modern terms can be considered as nepotism.

What are the types of nepotism existing in society?

Based on several sectors where nepotism exists, one can divide into various types. Following are the four types of nepotism that prevail in society.

• Political Nepotism: In politics, a politician promotes his/her immediate or extended relatives in the party so that (s)he can get a sit in the party. Giving a seat in the party on account of personal bias is what political nepotism is all about. A potential candidate sometimes even gets overshadowed by a nepotism-based candidate.
  
  
• Administrative Nepotism: Talking about the administrative domain, we witness some government employee or bureaucrat appointing his/her relative or family member on government jobs which, however, highlights a gray shade of how far nepotism can persist in our society. Contractors who are related to any government employee get public sector development contracts easily.
  
  
• Economic Sectors Nepotism: Several owners of joint-stock companies try to promote his/her child or relative for various ownership/decision-making positions, laying a nepotism-driven sector domain.
  
  
• Entertainment sector: The entertainment sector has always been in news for boycotting hard-working and talented outsiders. Undoubtedly, one can see a bunch of industry kids in the entertainment sector who are atrocious on grounds of talent.

What are the impacts of nepotism?

The political system is full of dynasts, resulting in the catastrophe of belief. It vitiates the legitimacy of democracy and degrades the quality of potential political leaders in our society. Furthermore, the symbiotic relationship between corruption and nepotism can be witnessed at every single stage of our life. Corruption is the biggest fallout of nepotism, making it quite evident that if this won't be rectified, it will sedately create a massive impact on the society in future.

One can see the corruption perception index of third-world countries in which these countries fare very badly on grounds of dynastic politics. As far as the government sector is concerned, the dearth of quality administrators in the governance is making it quite an impossible task for the government to work efficiently. In all conscience, for an efficient government, we need efficient leaders who can pave a better path for the betterment of the country.

For a market-driven country, the economy plays a vital role and if nepotism engulfs it as well, it will surely face detrimental repercussions. Big and small businesses will have to face massive exploitation if nepotism will persist. Undoubtedly, the interconnected economic sectors will be convulsed because of all this. While considering the entrepreneurship sector, nepotism is massacring entrepreneurial zeal if the majority of investment is supervised to spawn monopolies and nutriment nepotism in the sector.

Startups that are willing to bring diversification in the entrepreneurship sector, either cannot sustain the competition or are taken over by several paramount conglomerates built on the bricks of nepotism. Concerning the societal effect of nepotism, a considerable amount of hindrance based on casteism and religious perspective persists in the society, thus ceasing progress. The symbiotic relationship between nepotism and caste divisions in organizational institutions is very ingenious. These issues aren't discussed extensively in society.

What is the status of nepotism in India?

In this section, we can look over the collectible data from the corporate or political sector of India which will reflect the current scenario of nepotism persisting in society.

According to a book edited by Kanchan Chandra, between 2004 to 2014, a quarter of Indian parliamentarians were having the seat in the coveted parliament based on nepotism. In 2019, approximately 30% of all Lok Sabha MPs belonged to political parties and were spread all across the parties, whether it be ruling or opposition.

A report published by an Indian advisory firm, Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS), shows that in 2015, 57 companies under the S&P BSE 500 have directors aged less than 35 years out of which 75% of these directors belonged to the endorser families. Around 66.6% of the companies running in India were basically family owned and 83% of chairpersons in these companies comprised of a relative from the promoter family.

The Companies Act of 2013 mandated that at least one-third of the director board in any association should be autonomous. Around 17% of the S&P BSE 500 companies, repudiated this term and appointed less than the above-notified amount of independent directors in the director board.

What can be done to impede this anti-social element?

Aforementioned, data associated with constitutional and legal checks are proof of how far nepotism is engulfing society. A headlong action should be taken to cease nepotism for the future scenario. It is high time for all of us to address this issue on our part for the betterment and upliftment of society.

Dynastic politics can merely be terminated with the proper political education which will imbibe a crux of democratic values in every single individual living in our country. There is a possibility of having stringent law/regulation that gives more capacity to the Election Commission to have a check over the intra-party democracy pertaining to the political parties.

The institutionalization of election debates can also be a solution for ceasing the thriving nepotism. US Election debates follow such a process and this certainly allows the real competency of a potential candidate and negates the overhyped election campaigns which hardly creates any sort of impact. Digitization of administration will certainly add to the benefit and will eventually culminate discretion if carried to a logical conclusion.

The laws associated with the corporate sectors should be implemented in their entire capacity. Along with incorporating these laws, penalties should be increased if such laws as that of independent directors, wouldn't be followed by the institution. If we look upon the entertainment sector, we really can't make them incorporate any sort of law.

The change can only come from within. Indirectly, the real change-makers in the audience. Watch a movie or any show not based on who is acting in the movie( whether it be insider or outsider) but on grounds of how hard-working or talented the actor present in the movie is. In an era of social media influence, the moral-wallet pressure of the public will frame fairness as the only solution in solution in the entertainment sector.

The bottom-line of the content

Nepotism is a sort of termite that eventually eats up the whole system slowly, but effectively. Mentioning a lot of data and information was much more concerned with appealing a movement against nepotism rather than just writing it over. The incredulous suicide of a young talented actor, Sushant Singh Rajput could be a contingency, evolving a movement against the stereotypical biggies of any sector that is all-pervasive. Righteousness, legitimacy, and equal opportunities are indispensable conditions for a society to thrive and flourish with equitable means. We must put our foot down to desuetude nepotism from society and immaculate our country with its better form so that no life will be ruined by nepotism.

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