For most citizens, essential institutions like the police, hospitals, and courts symbolise safety, healing, and justice. Yet in India, engaging with these institutions often feels like stepping into a minefield.
In a recent thought-provoking article penned by Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, he delves into this pressing issue.
His arguments not only hold water but also resonate with the current socio-political context.
Whether it’s navigating bureaucratic apathy, grappling with corruption, or enduring endless delays, the experience can be so harrowing that avoidance becomes a form of privilege. The deeper irony lies in the fact that these institutions, critical for upholding democracy, often alienate the very people they are meant to serve.
Fear Vs. Faith In Uniforms
For many Indians, encountering the police isn’t about reassurance but anxiety. The 2020 Status of Policing in India Report (SPIR) by Common Cause and Lokniti-CSDS revealed that 44% of respondents feel unsafe approaching the police, while three in five worry about harassment or extortion. This fear is rooted in reality: cases of custodial violence, corruption, and overreach abound.
Take the chilling case of Jayaraj and Bennicks in Tamil Nadu (2020), where a minor lockdown violation ended in custodial deaths.
Despite laws like the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) Section 41, meant to prevent arbitrary arrests, enforcement remains selective. The National Campaign Against Torture reports five custodial deaths daily, a grim reminder of the gap between policy and practice.
Reforming this institution requires tackling its colonial legacy. Former DGP Prakash Singh, a long-time advocate for police reforms, asserts, “The system remains a colonial relic, designed for control, not service.”
Without significant structural changes—better training, community policing, and accountability mechanisms—trust in the police will remain a distant dream.
The Cost Of Surviving Illness
The Indian healthcare system is a paradox of extremes: world-class innovation coexists with dire accessibility issues. Public hospitals, meant to serve the majority, are overwhelmed. The World Bank notes that 75% of Indian healthcare spending is out-of-pocket, driving 55 million people into poverty annually.
Rural India bears the brunt. A 2022 NITI Aayog report highlighted that 65% of rural Indians travel over 5 kilometres to access basic medical care, often to underfunded facilities. Meanwhile, urban private hospitals offer cutting-edge services—but at exploitative costs. The pandemic unmasked this disparity: exorbitant bills for ICU beds and oxygen cylinders made headlines, while public hospitals grappled with supply shortages.
Dr Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health, encapsulates this dichotomy: “India produces the best doctors but struggles to provide basic care to its people. The gap isn’t talent—it’s funding and infrastructure.” Bridging this gap demands a twofold approach: raising public healthcare spending to at least 3% of GDP and enforcing price caps in private hospitals.
A Justice System In Limbo
India’s judiciary stands as both a beacon of hope and a symbol of delay. According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), with over 4.5 crore pending cases, justice is often delayed to the point of denial. Civil disputes can stretch over decades, leading to social and economic stagnation. For instance, land disputes alone account for 66% of civil cases, locking up valuable resources.
The economic cost of judicial delays is staggering: a World Bank study estimates that these delays cost India 2% of its GDP annually, deterring investment and stalling projects. Meanwhile, legal fees further alienate ordinary citizens. A Daksh survey (2020) found that 74% of litigants spent more on legal proceedings than the amount under dispute.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud acknowledged, “The judiciary needs to embrace technology and simplify procedures.” Initiatives like the e-Courts project are promising but insufficient without systemic reforms, including more judges, streamlined processes, and expanded legal aid services.
The Unholy Thread
If there’s a common denominator across these institutions, it’s corruption. The 2023 Global Corruption Barometer revealed that 39% of Indians believe corruption has increased, with public institutions topping the list of offenders. This culture of graft feeds into inefficiencies, delays, and public distrust, creating a vicious cycle.
Civil society organisations like Transparency International argue that systemic corruption stems from over-centralisation and lack of accountability.
For example, bribes are often demanded in police stations for registering FIRs or in hospitals for access to critical care. The Centre for Media Studies (CMS) estimates that corruption in healthcare alone costs Indians ₹2,000 crores annually.
Breaking this cycle requires decentralisation, digitisation, and stringent enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
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Stories Of Frustration
Beyond statistics, the lived experiences of ordinary Indians reveal the emotional toll of engaging with these systems. Consider Ramesh Kumar, a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, whose land dispute has been stuck in court for over 15 years, draining his resources and hope. Or Sunita Devi, who lost her husband to a heart attack after a government hospital failed to provide timely care.
These stories aren’t exceptions but reflections of systemic neglect. As activist Harsh Mander aptly puts it, “Institutions fail not because people lack the will to reform them, but because the marginalized lack the voice to demand reform.”
Not all is bleak. Kerala’s Aardram Mission has revitalized public healthcare, while Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics brings affordable care to urban slums. Similarly, initiatives like the Mumbai Police’s citizen outreach programs have improved public-police relations.
These examples emphasise the power of localised, community-driven solutions. Scaling these successes nationally could transform India’s institutional landscape.
Institutional dysfunction isn’t inevitable—it’s a result of policy choices. Countries like Denmark and Singapore have transformed public institutions by prioritising transparency and accountability. India can follow suit by strengthening oversight mechanisms, increasing funding, and fostering citizen participation.
As Amartya Sen observes, “A society’s progress is measured by its ability to provide basic dignity to all its citizens.” Ensuring this dignity requires reimagining institutions as enablers, not hurdles.
Avoiding police, hospitals, and courts isn’t a blessing—it’s an indictment of systemic failures. While these institutions remain indispensable, their flaws alienate the citizens they are meant to serve. Reforming them isn’t just a policy priority but a democratic necessity. By addressing inefficiencies, curbing corruption, and fostering trust, India can transform these institutions into pillars of empowerment.
True progress lies in a future where engaging with these systems doesn’t feel like a gamble, but a guarantee of safety, justice, and care.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Print, Indian Express, The Hindu
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: police reforms in India, healthcare system challenges, Indian judiciary delays, institutional accountability India, corruption in public institutions, access to justice India, healthcare inequality India, police brutality India, reforming public systems, transparency in governance, public trust in institutions, judicial backlog India, Indian healthcare crisis, ethical governance India, systemic corruption solutions, building trust in India, civil society India, grassroots reforms India, better governance India, empowerment through reform
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