“With the highest bribery rate (39 percent) in the Asian region, India also has the highest rate of people using personal connections to access public services,” a recent survey found.
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In a survey conducted by corruption watchdog Transparency International, from June 17 to July 17, with 2000 participants from India, it was found that India has the highest bribery rate in Asia.
The Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), Asia reported that 50 percent of the people who paid bribes were asked to do so. Amongst participants who admitted to having used personal connections to access public services, 32 percent also admitted that they would not receive the service otherwise.
“Of the people surveyed in India, who came into contact with the police, 42% had paid bribes. The use of bribes was also rampant (41%) to obtain official documents such as identity papers. Use of personal connections was also largely made in dealings with the police (39%), procurement of identity documents (42%), and in relation to courts (38%)”, the report stated.
Bribery to attain various public services is a common practice in India. In India, 89 percent people think government corruption is a big problem, 18 percent offered bribes in exchange for votes. And among the many who have been victims of the practice, 63 percent believe that they would suffer retaliation if they report corruption.
“Both national and state governments need to streamline administrative processes for public services, implement preventative measures to combat bribery and nepotism, and invest in user-friendly online platforms to deliver essential public services quickly and effectively,” the report said.