Thursday, April 14, 2011

Survey finds bribing a way of life in Delhi, Bangalore wary on eliminating corruption-April 14, 2011

Survey finds bribing a way of life in Delhi, Bangalore wary on eliminating corruption



| New Delhi, April 14, 2011 | Updated 17:21 IST
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India Today-Synovate corruption survey
India Today-Synovate corruption survey
Fresh from the spontaneous outpouring of popular support for anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare in his campaign against corruption, India has grown bold in its pronouncements on the evil sapping the country's vitals as proved by the India Today-Synovate survey.

When India Today commissioned Synovate, a global market research agency, to conduct the survey, Hazare was still on fast with the government yet to get its redressal act together.

In all, 831 respondents from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad were part of this survey. Of them, 417 were women and the respondents were from the 18-25, 26-35 and 36-45 age groups.

Question 1: Have you ever paid a bribe to get anything done?

The all-India average was 46 per cent saying yes and 54 per cent saying they did not pay a bribe. Shockingly, all respondents from New Delhi admitted paying a bribe. This was followed by Bangalore where 63 per cent admitted to paying bribes. The positive side of the answers collated was that bribing was not such a monster in Mumbai (18 per cent), Kolkata (16 per cent), Ahmedabad (24 per cent) and Pune (27 per cent), compared to New Delhi and Bangalore. The answers from Chennai and Hyderabad were roughly 50-50.

Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare talking to supporters
Question 2: How often have you paid bribes?

This question was posed to only those who admitted to paying a bribe. Respondents from Bangalore said they have paid bribes so many times that they have lost count, compared to other metropolises barring New Delhi where bribes were all pervasive.

Question 3: Who did you have to bribe?

This question was posed to only those who admitted to paying a bribe. Among government agencies, the police were the most bribed followed by the civic authority. In Ahmedabad, respondents said 96 per cent of the bribes they paid were to police.

In Mumbai, this figure was at 89 per cent. In Kolkata, respondents said all bribes were being paid to the civic authority. In other details, New Delhi was paying most bribes to police (73 per cent), colleges (35 per cent) and civic authority (30 per cent).

Chennai and Hyderabad respondents said they pay a significant number of bribes to the judiciary at 25 per cent and 27 per cent respectively. Ahmedabad respondents were also paying a significant number of bribes at schools at 25 per cent.

Question 4: Would it have been possible to get work done without bribe?

This question was posed to only those who admitted to paying a bribe. Respondents were sure their work would not have been done without the bribe. Bangalore (97 per cent), Pune (78 per cent), Hyderabad (73 per cent), Chennai (72 per cent), Mumbai (67 per cent) and Ahmedabad (63 per cent) were sure that if they had not forked out their work would have been stuck. While 28 per cent in New Delhi felt their work would have been done without a bribe, a surprising 66 per cent didn't know if their job could have been completed had they not paid up.

Question 5: Do you think the Prime Minister can do anything about corruption?

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh received a huge boost in reply to this query, barring Chennai (52 per cent Nos). All respondents in New Delhi felt the PM can do something to control/combat corruption.

Question 6: Do you think corruption is now at an all-time high?

Delhi respondents thought corruption was at an all-time high, something the rest of the nation agreed to with 76 per cent yes.

Question 7: Can corruption be eliminated from society?

Delhiites believed corruption can be eliminated from society. Bangalore was the most wary with 61 per cent saying corruption cannot be eliminated.

Question 8: Do you think we need a strong law against corruption?

A resounding 95 per cent country-wide supported a strong law against corruption. Bangalore and New Delhi respondents agreed unanimously (100 per cent).

Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare during his fast unto death at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi
Question 9: Have you heard of the Lokpal Bill?

With Anna Hazare's fast drawing attention on the Lokpal Bill, the respondents were asked if they had heard about the proposed statute. While respondents from other metropolises were aware of it, 83 per cent of Delhi respondents had not heard of Lokpal Bill or what it stood for.

Question10: Do you think what Anna Hazare is doing is right?

Respondents were sure that he was with 92 per cent saying yes. Bangalore (100 per cent), New Delhi and Pune (97 per cent), and Ahmedabad (96 per cent) scored the highest with the others all in the mid-80s to early-90s.

Question 11: Do you think the system will change?

Bangaloreans' response was the most sceptic with 74 per cent saying the system cannot be changed. The rest were more hopeful with Ahmedabad being the most optimistic at 85 per cent saying it can be changed. Delhi was a tad more circumspect with 55 per cent saying the system could change while the rest were very dim on systemic change.

Question 12: What per cent of government employees would you consider honest?

All respondents across India were of the opinion that less than 10 per cent of the bureaucracy was honest. Forty per cent of the Delhi respondents said no government employee is honest.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Question 13: Does Prime Minister's personal honesty mean anything if his government is drowning in corruption?

Delhiites were the most unsparing with 87 per cent saying an honest PM cannot weed out corruption. Bangalore respondents reposed the highest faith in the PM with 79 per cent saying an honest PM can bring the culprits to book.

Question 14: How would you rate governments on corruption index?

Respondents ranked the Manmohan Singh government the most corrupt, followed by the governments led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narasimha Rao, V.P. Singh, Morarji Desai and Rajiv Gandhi in that order. The respondents felt that the Indira Gandhi government was least corrupt.

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