47% Indians say corruption got worse in 5 years

The groundswell of public support for the anti-corruption movement in India shows the people recognise that the problem is "endemic" in their society, with almost half of them saying the issue of graft is worsening, according to a new poll.

The poll conducted by US-based performance management consultancy firm, Gallup, said in 2010, 47 per cent of Indians said the level of corruption in the country was higher than it was five years earlier, while 27 per cent found it was about the same.

The support for Anna Hazare and anti-graft protests shows Indians recognise the problem is endemic, the survey said.

...

In response to poll, 78 per cent of Indians said corruption is widespread within the Indian government, and 71 per cent said it is widespread within businesses in India.

According to the poll, following recent high-profile scandals - including a collusion scheme that landed India's telecom minister in jail, and allegations that the planners of last year's Commonwealth games stole billions - Indians have begun to act on their frustration with the country's corruption problem.

Asked whether they thought the government was doing enough to fight corruption, more than one-third of Indians (35 per cent) said yes, while half (50 per cent) said no.

...

Unemployed Indians were particularly likely to feel the government was not doing enough to fight corruption, with nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) responding that way.

Unemployed Indians were also among the most likely to say they recently found themselves in a situation in which they needed to pay a bribe.

Bribery remains widespread in Indian society; about one in five Indians (21 per cent) overall said they had faced a situation in the past 12 months in which a bribe was required to solve a problem.

...

Among the country's unemployed, however, the figure rises to 43 per cent - an indicator that those seeking welfare and job services are among the most vulnerable.

Following recent high-profile scandals - including a collusion scheme that landed India's telecom minister in jail, and allegations that the planners of last year's Commonwealth games stole billions - Indians have begun to act on their frustration with the country's corruption problem.

Survey results reveal Indians do not believe the problem is getting any better and many have had to deal with corruption personally.

However, the likelihood that systemic change can be implemented largely depends on whether Indians' underlying dissatisfaction produces sustained public pressure for reform.