Vile Currency

In India, bribery isn't a vice, it is a parallel economy. Getting a driving license or a global order, nothing happens sans 'chai-pani'. Corruption is today's currency

- RAJEEV NARAYAN

In India, bribery isn't just a vice, it is a parallel economy. From getting a driving license to receiving clearance for files in government offices, chai-pani greases every wheel. Merit bows to money, while Uncle honesty watches sheepishly. Until citizens resist and systems reform, corruption will remain the unofficial currency of "getting things done". It boils down to who people know and how much they are willing to pay. Be it moving property files, securing a passport, or even clinching multi-billion-dollar defense contracts, bribes pave the way in bureaucracy and business. A staggering 66 per cent of Indians have admitted to paying bribes, with a majority doing so not out of choice, but necessity.

For the common man, it's the price of getting property papers cleared or obtaining a driving license. For large corporations, it's about sealing deals that fuel the economy. As these actions become entrenched in the system, the price that the nation has to pay and will continue coughing up in corruption is pervasive, almost an algorithm that's being worked on.

A Redoubtable Accolade

In 2022, Transparency International released a report that highlighted India's struggle with corruption. India ranks 86th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, a score that indicates widespread bribery across multiple levels of government and business. A recent survey by the Centre for Media Studies revealed an even starker picture—66 per cent of Indians admitted to paying bribes to get things done. Overall, 54 per cent said they were forced to pay, while 46 per cent willingly handed over the money as part of the cost of being in India.

The practice is all but institutionalized, with most budgeting for the non-refundable deposit that is required to access basic services.