At the state level, the quality and effectiveness of Lokayuktas differ. For example, out of 28 states and three Union Territories, nine (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) have not amended their laws to bring them in line with the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013.Moreover, 10 states do not have a Lokayukta website, and only three (Odisha, Maharashtra and Mizoram) make provisions for online complaints.The report stated that a challenge noted in the Indian context is the adequate working of key institutions, which “often fall prey to quarrels among the particularistic interests of political actors, or alternately to abuse of office”. “All anti-corruption agencies are under governmental control, so there is no hope of accountability,” added Nayak.India has the highest bribery rate and the highest rate of citizens using personal connections in Asia. A complicated and slow bureaucracy, excessive red tape and ambiguous regulatory mechanisms enable a culture where citizens use “networks of familiarity and petty corruption” to access basic services. Bribes are paid to both obtain and expedite services, such as police protection, school admission, water supply and government assistance.The 2021 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix places India in the “medium” risk category, ranking it 82 out of 194 countries, with a risk score of 44.Corruption has been a prominent feature of the pandemic, with reports of black-marketing essential medical items and services, overcharging of COVID-19 patients, fraud in the procurement of ventilators and distribution of fake vaccines.
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