Waves of anti-corruption campaigns have produced only marginal results in India, with the sarkari office mostly retaining a colonial character where the citizen feels powerless. Corruption is currently the dominant theme in Tamil Nadu, one of the more prosperous states, where the shock defeat of the DMK front at the hands of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) has been followed by vigilance raids on transport, revenue and registration offices. Reflecting the public mood, a citizen-created, data-driven online portal, Public Citizen (Makkal Saatchi in Tamil), to report demands for bribes for public services is rising in popularity. Its creator, a fan of actor-turned-Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, is understandably elated at the accolades he has been receiving since he took no special........

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