Corruption comes in so many forms. The Indian Corruption Study by the Centre for Media Studies has focused only on the corruption experienced by the ‘common man’ in getting services from various service providers i.e. government departments. Citizens are entitled to receive these services, but are not only served poorly but very often have to pay a bribe to the service providers.
Perception of corruption
India Corruption Study – 2005 brings out that the problem of corruption in public services affecting day-to-day needs of citizens is far more serious than it is being realized and calls for all out initiatives on the part of Government as well as civil society. Putting together corruption in all public services involving individual common citizens, will work out significantly high. Until now, this has never been reliably estimated specific to public service.
Three-fourth of citizens think that the level of corruption in public services has been increasing. Hardly 10% think that such corruption is on the decline. There are no significant differences between the States in the perceptions about the extent of corruption or in their experience with such corruption.
One-third to half of the compulsions leading to such petty corruption involving the common man could be addressed and also removed with simple initiatives including introduction of technologies.
One-third of citizens think that “both the officials concerned and the users” of these 11 services know how much to be paid as “extra” to get a job done or attended to.
One-sixth of public think that citizens/users of Government services themselves are responsible for corruption. They believe that there is no active and sustained civil society movement. The efforts are more sporadic, localized and short-lived and have never acquired a character of a larger movement.
One-third of citizens think that corruption is “an obvious fact” where both giver and taker are familiar with modalities, it cannot be addressed only by reforms and by adopting technologies, although they are the first order of initiatives to be taken, unless certain deterrent punitive action on those indulging in corruption are also taken.
Consumer Woes
Users of various public services across the country in this study have named seven key factors that stand out as responsible for wide spread corruption in the system. These include,
Lack of transparency and accountability in the system.
Lack of an effective corruption reporting mechanisms.
Lack of honesty in officials in the Government
Acceptance of Bribe as a way of life, custom and culture.
Ineffective judiciary.
Poor economic policies.
Inadequate training and orientation of Government officials.
Corruption Index Fundas
The Corruption Index scores show that need-based services are more corrupt than basic services covered in this survey.