In India, corruption is a very regular scene in all walks of life. At least one third of houses have witnessed corruption at one point in their life. But this is changing according to a report by CMS.
The Centre for Media Studies’ (CMS,) study about ‘Indian Corruption Study,’ which was released by NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy, showed that only 31% households experienced corruption in 2017 for public services when compared to the 53% in 2013. The report said, “There has been a definite decline in both perception and experience of citizens about corruption in public services between 2005 and 2017.”
This study was conducted in 3000 households of rural and urban areas across 200 places in 20 states. This study included public services like public distribution system, electricity, health, school education, water supply, banking, police, judicial services, housing and tax services. In regard to this, the report added, “Total amount paid by households across 20 states and 10 public services as a bribe is estimated to be Rs. 6,350 crore in 2017 against Rs. 20,500 crore in 2005.”
It also provided state wise details, “most households reported experiencing corruption in Karnataka (77 per cent) followed by Andhra Pradesh (74 per cent,) Tamil Nadu (68 per cent,) Maharashtra (57 per cent,) Jammu and Kashmir (44 per cent) and Punjab (42 per cent.) CMS Chairman N. Bhaskara Rao said the key reasons for paying a bribe in a public service remained consistent between 2005 and 2017 “indicating there has been little focus on ground level issues while addressing corruption.”
Debroy, when releasing this report, said that this study was done with a focus on everyday corruption, that affects everyday life. He said that the ‘big ticket’ corruption was excluded from the list. He said, “We need to ensure how to punish malafide while simultaneously ensuring the protection of bonafide.”
