India might be the fastest-growing economy, but how does it fare on social indicators like civic behaviour, safety, gender attitudes and diversity? A first-of-its-kind survey by India Today across 21 states sheds light on the social progress of the country.

In Short

• Kerala leads in social indicators, followed by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
• Uttar Pradesh and Punjab rank lowest in social indicators
• Survey conducted across 21 states and one Union Territory

India might be the fastest-growing economy, but how does it fare on social indicators like civic behaviour, safety, gender attitudes and diversity – a key measure of development? A first-of-its-kind survey by India Today to gauge the ‘Gross Domestic Behaviour (GDB)’ found that Kerala leads the nation in different social indicators, followed by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

In the survey, conducted across 21 states and one Union Territory, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab stood at the bottom of the ladder, reflecting weak social welfare indicators. The pioneering survey, conducted in collaboration with analytics firm How India Lives, ranks states on the civic and social attitudes of its residents.

Thus, states with a stronger progressive response profile scored high on the social welfare indicators. Maharashtra and Odisha capped off the top 5 states showcasing a stronger social fabric, with no representation from the North.

CIVIC BEHAVIOUR

The civic behaviour domain, which assessed adherence to public rules, threw up interesting statistics. While 85 per cent of those surveyed gave a thumbs down to evading transport fares, government data has revealed that the Railways alone detected 3.6 crore cases of ticketless travel in 2023-24. It resulted in fines of Rs 2,231.74 crore.

The data underlines enforcement failure and the challenge of ensuring accountability by the government.

Another telling statistic the survey revealed is that 61 per cent of the respondents were willing to pay bribes to get things done, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list. Similarly, the survey found that 52 per cent were willing to pay in cash for property-related transactions to avoid taxes.

However, the survey has shone light on some bright spots as well. Coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India push, the survey found that 76% of the respondents prefer online payments to cash – a trend that got a leg up after the contentious demonetisation move. Delhi leads the chart, with 96% preferring digital transactions.

The digital embrace, as shown by Sweden, will lead not only to a reduction in tax evasion, but will minimise corruption and create a transparent financial system.

Sociologist Dipankar Gupta told India Today that the findings reveal that most citizens understand what is right, but fail to act upon it. Gupta said the survey upends the assumption that ignorance was behind India’s civic shortcomings.

GENDER ATTITUDES

The survey on ‘gender attitudes’ showcases a nation caught between progress and patriarchy. Rankings show Kerala again aced the gender parity test, topping the list, with Uttar Pradesh at the bottom.

Around 93 per cent of the respondents said daughters deserve the same educational opportunities as sons, while 84 per cent back women pursuing their careers outside their home state.

However, the survey revealed that 69% still bat for male family members having the final word on major household decisions. Another metric where India lags is female labour force participation at 41%, which is far below that of China (60 per cent) and the US (58 per cent).

PUBLIC SAFETY

Public safety is another factor that makes a state prosperous, with Kerala again leading the chart, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Odisha, as per the survey.

The survey shows that Tamil Nadu was the “best-behaved” state, with Karnataka being the worst. A staggering 79 per cent of the respondents in Karnataka said harassment was a frequent problem.

Even though 86 per cent of those surveyed said they felt safe on public transport, nearly 44 per cent of the women reported facing harassment.

Another telling statistic that signals a lack of trust in the system is that while 84% claimed they would report a violent crime, in cities like Delhi FIR registration remains abysmally low. For example, it has been found that only 7.2% of theft victims report crimes.

DIVERSITY AND DISCRIMINATION

While India prides itself on religious and caste diversity, biases remain across states. In this metric too, Kerala topped the rankings, with Madhya Pradesh finding itself at the bottom of the list.

The survey revealed that 70% of the respondents welcome religious diversity in their neighbourhoods. In the workplace, 60% oppose religious discrimination in hiring. Here too, Kerala leads, with 88% opposing an employer’s right to discriminate based on religion.

However, the striking aspect that the survey revealed is the overwhelming resistance to interfaith and inter-caste marriages, underscoring India’s deep-seated social divisions. While 61% of the respondents oppose interfaith marriages, 56% are against the latter.

The survey seeks to highlight that the path to development lies not only through GDP numbers and infrastructure projects, but also through revolutions in social metrics like diversity and gender equality.