Governance conundrum : understanding the dynamics of petty corruption in Bihar, India

Verma, Rajiv

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Verma, Rajiv

Governance conundrum : understanding the dynamics of petty corruption in Bihar, India

Governance conundrum : Analyse der Korruptionsdynamik in Bihar, Indien

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URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:100-opus-13083
URL: http://opus.uni-hohenheim.de/volltexte/2017/1308/

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SWD-Schlagwörter:

Governance, Korruption, Zivilgesellschaft, experimentelle Spiele zu Korruption

Freie Schlagwörter (Deutsch):

Governance , Korruption , Zivilgesellschaft , experimentelle Spiele zu Korruption

Freie Schlagwörter (Englisch):

Governance , Corruption , Civil society organization , experimental bribery games

Institut:

Institut für Agrar- und Sozialökonomie in den Tropen und Subtropen

Fakultät:

Fakultät Agrarwissenschaften

DDC-Sachgruppe:

Landwirtschaft, Veterinärmedizin

Dokumentart:

Dissertation

Hauptberichter:

Birner, Regina Prof. Dr.

Sprache:

Englisch

Tag der mündlichen Prüfung:

22.04.2016

Erstellungsjahr:

2016

Publikationsdatum:

25.01.2017

Lizenz:

Veröffentlichungsvertrag mit der Universitätsbibliothek Hohenheim

Kurzfassung auf Englisch:

This thesis examines the dynamics of petty corruption in the Indian state of Bihar. It illustrates how the problem of petty corruption is manifested in the delivery of welfare services to the poor; explains the reasons for the perpetuation of systemic corruption in public dealings; investigates the strategies of civil society-led mobilization of the poor against corruption; unravels what happens when well-meaning anti-corruption policies and reforms hit the ground; and explores the attitudes of future bureaucrats toward bribery and corruption. These inquiries become crucial, as in the last few decades, scholars have identified the problem of corruption as one of the toughest governance challenges in developing countries, wherein welfare services often get trapped in ‘corruption cycle’ (see Rose-Ackerman, 1999; Debiel et al., 2011; Villoria et al., 2013). While corruption is widely acknowledged as a problem and some attempts have been made to quantify it, there is a dearth of empirically grounded research on the dynamics of corruption, its persistence, and the probable solution for curbing it. This thesis is an attempt in that direction. Bihar is chosen as the site of investigation because it has covered a long journey from being one of the most corrupt states in India about a decade back to have become a leading state in undertaking governance reforms for curbing corruption.

The findings of the thesis contribute to the wider debates on good governance and corruption. It takes forward the discourse on corruption, which is largely dominated by the works that tend to quantify it, by unravelling the dynamics of corruption as well as presenting the narration and explanation for its persistence. The thesis compliments the literature on the role of civil society in preventing corruption by providing empirical evidence on the dynamics of civil society-led mobilisation of the poorest citizens in Bihar. It advocates the support of international agencies as well as the state in this endeavour, and argues for the nurturing of second rung of leadership in the facilitating organisation for the longevity of the movement.
The thesis challenges the present fixation with strict monitoring and vigilance-focused reforms in anti-corruption measures. While acknowledging the need for better monitoring and accountability, it identifies the entry points for corruption in welfare schemes and suggests ways of curbing systemic corruption. It emphasises the need for communicating well to the target population the changes in rules and regulations of welfare programmes, alongside redressing the problems of poor working conditions and low remuneration of over-worked frontline workers. Finally, the thesis, in a novel attempt of its kind, presents the attitudes of future civil servants toward bribery and corruption. It argues that the anti-corruption efforts should not only focus on stringent action and speedy trial of erring officials but also strive for changing the ‘social acceptance’ of corruption through value-based education in wider society.