While travelling in a Delhi-registered commercial taxi from Delhi to an adjacent city (another State), your taxi driver informs you that as he has no permit for running the taxi in that city, he will stop at its Transport Office and pay the prescribed fee of Rs. forty for a day. While paying the fee at the counter you find that the transport clerk is taking an extra fifty rupees for which no receipt is being given. You are in a hurry for your meeting. In such circumstances, what would you do?

The situation describes an act of petty corruption at a government office. The question asks for the most appropriate course of action for a responsible citizen.

A) Go up to the counter and ask the clerk to give back the money which he has illegally taken: This is a direct confrontation. While morally correct, it could lead to arguments, delays, or even hostile reactions, especially when you are in a hurry for a meeting. It might not be the most practical or effective immediate solution.

B) Do not interfere at all as this is a matter between the taxi driver and the tax authorities: This option suggests indifference to an act of corruption. As a responsible citizen, ignoring such incidents contributes to the normalization of corruption and is not an ideal response.

C) Take note of the incident and subsequently report the matter to the concerned authorities: This is the most balanced and responsible approach. It allows you to proceed with your urgent meeting without immediate confrontation, while still fulfilling your civic duty to report corruption through proper channels. Reporting the incident to higher authorities is the correct way to address such misconduct and ensure accountability.

D) Treat it as a normal affair and simply forget about it: This option normalizes corruption and shows a lack of civic responsibility. Ignoring such incidents allows corruption to persist and grow.

Therefore, C is the correct answer as it demonstrates civic responsibility, ethical conduct, and a practical approach to addressing corruption without compromising immediate commitments.