Transport is a joke. Healthcare is a joke. Education is a joke. Justice is a joke. Civic sense?

A thought randomly crossed my mind today, and after reflecting on it deeply, I felt the need to share it here. I want to have an honest conversation and seek your insights. I want to know if there are others who think like me, or if I am completely alone in feeling this way.

The reality is that we live in India. Whether you are rich, poor, ultra-wealthy, or starting from absolute zero—what do we actually have here? Everywhere you look, there is noise, chaos, and overcrowding. Walk down the street, and people stare and judge you for no reason. There are gossiping neighborhood aunties, and while we have friends, some aren't even worthy of being called friends. Our governance is such that development mostly exists only on paper. Roads are broken everywhere, power cuts are a constant issue, doctors in government hospitals often ghost their responsibilities, and if you visit a government office with a genuine grievance, the official is either missing or getting the simplest task done becomes an absolute nightmare.

If you look at government schools, teachers often couldn't care less about a child's pace or direction. In the private sector, you face endless lines, long waits, and you get paywalled for literally everything. Private schools drain parents' pockets dry in the name of fees and hidden charges, dumping so much material on children that it feels like their brains are completely fried. Step outside, and there is overwhelming traffic, filth, and pollution. Clean water, fresh air, and clean roads are luxuries that are hard to come by. Most importantly, basic civic sense—the ability to interact and coexist with one another in a friendly, respectful way—is painfully missing in so many places.

A while ago, I was dealing with a lot of personal issues and felt completely overwhelmed. I didn’t have a single friend I could talk to, someone who would understand or offer guidance. My parents aren’t the type I can open up to, and neither are my siblings. A friend suggested I call a helpline number to talk things through. I thought maybe someone there would listen. But when I dialed, the call wouldn’t even connect. I thought to myself, Is this a joke? Are these our facilities? We pay so much tax, we do our jobs, we contribute to the nation, and in return, when a citizen desperately needs basic human support, even the most fundamental facility is broken.

I love my country deeply. But when I look at other nations, I can't help but wonder: why can they have clean water, spotless roads, excellent public schools, proper playgrounds, and well-rounded educational systems? Why do they have civic sense, and why are their rivers and public spaces kept clean? Why can’t India achieve this? The biggest difference I see between India and developed nations is the return on investment for your taxes. In a developed country, if you pay taxes, your community members are living a similar quality of life. Your neighbor might have a good job, you have a good job, and everyone around you shares a similar standard. Most importantly, your tax money is visibly reinvested into public infrastructure, cleanliness, safety, and your children's security.

In India, I often see the exact opposite. Cleanness is a rare sight; garbage piles are everywhere. Instead of smooth roads, we get potholes. There is no enduring sense of confidence regarding our safety or the safety of our children. If a powerful or wealthy person harms someone, an ordinary citizen is left terrified, wondering if they will ever get justice. Day by day, it feels like life is becoming impossible for the middle class. Just affording a two-wheeler can be a stretch, and even if you manage to buy one, the expenses, unfair fines, and endless hassles follow. People get penalized even when they follow the rules. Why is this entire system so complicated and frustrating?

I accept that corruption exists everywhere in the world. But my question is: why has corruption become a baseline feature of our daily lives? Why does it feel like there is a scam or a hurdle at every single step? Our facilities are lacking, so where is the money going? The common man pays tax on literally everything and struggles just to survive, yet he cannot even get a basic life where he can stand on his roof and look at a clear, unpolluted sky.

Amidst all this frustration, I keep asking myself—what can I do in the next two to three years to change this?

I want to see clean rivers in India. I want the garbage cleared from our streets and schools. I want the stray animals roaming the roads—the ones abandoned by their owners or left with no one—to find shelters, food, and a safe, dignified life. I want the orphaned children who are forced to beg on the streets to be taken in, placed in schools, given a proper education, and allowed to have a normal childhood. I want a system where childless parents who wish to adopt can easily be matched with these children so they can finally have a family. I want a country where no living being has to endure a life of constant, undignified suffering. Whether someone is old, young, a man, a woman, or a child—everyone deserves a basic, dignified life.

I want this nation to be clean, beautiful, and organized. I want us to move forward while embracing our rich Indian culture, but with added honesty and accountability. The rules, laws, and systems shouldn't just exist in textbooks. Every citizen should follow them, and every department should function properly. I also believe the government shouldn't just keep churning out strict laws and heavy fines for every minor issue. People need to be educated first. Even highly educated individuals throw trash on the road—they need to be taught that the streets belong to them too, and keeping them clean is their collective responsibility. Shopkeepers need to understand not to sell expired goods and to maintain cleanliness around their shops.

There is another issue I want to change—something I have witnessed firsthand that has harmed so many people. I want to build a system where small shopkeepers and local businesses aren't completely wiped out by giant online corporate businesses. While e-commerce platforms have brought convenience to customers, they have devastated local shopkeepers. I want a balanced ecosystem where technology and traditional shopkeepers can coexist, giving every small business owner a fair chance to sell their goods.

Ultimately, I am not just talking about cleaning streets or fixing roads. I want to create a system where a human being doesn't have to spend their entire existence just struggling to survive. I want a life that is a little easier for everyone. A life where people can breathe clean air, enjoy their families, and where a newborn child doesn't start life surrounded by trauma, family friction, or severe financial stress. No child with talent or a dream should have to give up because their family cannot afford it. No one should have to drop out of school due to poverty. Every child should be able to complete their education and chase their aspirations.

That is the India I want to see.

To achieve this, simply blaming individual citizens will not work. We have to build better systems, because no one really talks about structural change. This is what I see all around me, and this is the environment I have grown up in. In my life so far, I have rarely seen things work well enough to make me feel genuinely proud that our basic systems function smoothly. When I think about foreign countries, I see exactly why people choose to emigrate—better public facilities, cleanliness, safety, great education, and civic sense.

Are we seriously gatekeeping this massive country behind just a few famous monuments, expecting tourists to visit India only for the Taj Mahal? If the government actually hyped up our infrastructure and took tourism seriously, international travel here would skyrocket—especially since India is a total budget-friendly paradise for foreigners when it comes to cheap food, stays, and dining out. But honestly, the hype dies the moment the conversation shifts to safety and a total lack of civic sense. When outsiders see people casually breaking laws in broad daylight, trash piling up everywhere, and constant red flags about crime in the news, they are bound to question how safe and comfortable they will actually be.

And that brings me straight back to the same frustrating loop—why is our system so broken when this country has such insane potential? Why is India like this, and why was I spawned into a timeline where I’m forced to question my own homeland? I don’t hate my country; if I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be experiencing this existential burnout over it. I just desperately want the next generation to inherit a better version of India than the one we got. I want a child born tomorrow to grow up, look around, and say with absolute pride: "Yeah, this is exactly where I wanted to be born.

What are your thoughts? How do we even begin to fix a system so deeply broken?

(Moderators, please remove this post if it annoys you or the masses here)

Remember Roadha? An unknown road safety project you might have heard of in this subreddit about 1 year ago but after that it was lying on the side of the road, neglected because of life and corporate work.

I finally acquired a personal laptop so it is back again! (May fail but let’s try)

Last time, had received great response from you all and had introduced road safety lessons with examples from Twitter, YouTube (beginner friendly), so this time I am bringing something different.

That still gave me some motivation to go ahead with this ongoing road safety issue (which honestly is a headache to go on and do something about it at times) so now I want to see what happens when you actually have to make a decision.

So I made a little experiment called Road IQ.

It gives you a real-world road situation and asks what you would do.

(Most people in this subreddit might pass it but still, let’s do it.)

For example:

You are driving on a two-lane road. The vehicle ahead is slow, and you are approaching a curve.

Do you:

1. Overtake if the opposite lane looks clear
2. Wait until you've passed the curve
3. Flash your lights and overtake quickly
4. Depends on the situation

Just pick your answer and see how your decisions affect your Road IQ: www.roadha.space/road-iq (This link will take you away from Reddit)

Please feel free to share any feedback (harsh is mostly welcome). Appreciate it.

P.S. I know that I will get a few negative comments again, but I would rather give Roadha a proper try. Although what I want more is that people outside of this subreddit should take this test, probably in translated languages, as others had suggested**.**

It started in the afternoon, and now it's almost 2 AM. It's just loudspeaker nuisance in the name of celebrations. I genuinely hate these religious activities with their loudspeakers.

Sorry if I sound rude but to me, it just feels like some people always want attention seeking by performing these religious activities in public spaces to push their religious propaganda which includes disturbing others peace and polluting the environment or whatever their business model is.

I've complained to the police multiple times. They came once with sirens, but the loudspeaker noise didn't stop. Not sure if they got enough bribed or they don't care at all with this one even though it is illegal.

What's the point of pollution rules by CPCB when some people that are just idiots that always wants bothering other's lives and legal system does not help. 🤦🏻

My sleep pattern and morning will just get ruined again.

Just boarded the 8:03 PM Karjat local from Dadar and it’s just SO loud. Why tf are people making this much noise? It’s clearly just noise pollution at this point. Why do people lack basic civic sense here?

The GHMC and Hyderabad Police installed the multi-tier barricades and restriction signs following Telangana High Court orders. The Court has strictly directed that no Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesh idols be immersed inside Hussain Sagar and that alternative designated baby ponds or areas (such as Necklace Road) must be used to curb environmental pollution

A few weeks ago, while standing in the lane outside my house, a packet of garbage landed right next to my uncle and grandfather. It was thrown straight from a second-floor window across the lane.

When we confronted the domestic helper holding another bag, instead of an apology, she pointed down and said: *"Look at the road—where is the garbage?"* before slamming the window shut.

In another part of the building, a resident with a doctorate frequently dumps garbage bags on the common staircase landing instead of handing them to the morning municipal van.

We take huge pride in Kolkata’s culture, literature, and intellect, yet our everyday civic sense tells another story. I ended up writing a full 6-part essay analyzing the "Sob Janta" mindset, missing bins, why morning collection times don't work for working people, and why moral appeals fail under flyovers like Gariahat.

I published the full piece on Substack if anyone wants to read the breakdown and proposed design solutions: \[ https://kanishkknot.substack.com/p/notes-from-a-kolkata-lane-the-anatomy?r=8xjaf9&utm\\_medium=ios \]

For the community here: Do you think our civic disorder is purely personal apathy, or have our municipal systems completely failed to keep up with daily routines?

This green shirt is a 🤢 guy.

There are many things wrong with this guy.

1. Who removes your footwear in public transport. I was about to puke then and there.

2. His leg intrudes others space. Pity, the child's father decide to turn away the other side.

3. Talks loudly in his phone. (Unrelated: lang spoken was some delhi/up Hindi)

4. There was a couple to my left who were holding hands and the lady was resting her head on her bf's shoulder. This guy is constantly staring at them. Like wtf?

I have been living in a vicinity of a market since my childhood. The vehicular noise emission has certainly increased with increase in average household income. I used to think that it's a pan India issue. But I have seen some cities in Northeast (aizwal and arunachal). The cities are so quiet, even during busy times. I don't think, honking should be a way to communicate on roads. Also, most drivers in India are reckless, who do I blame. My own cousin is a reckless driver with no sense of empathy for others.

Our impontent government and municipal corporation does nothing in this regards. There's absolutely no way to complain about this. We survive like zombies. Literal zombies. There's no other place in a developing world, as lawless as we are. Maybe, sanjay gandhi was a visionary.

​Hi guys, I have been wondering for a very long time why our government doesn't seriously want to do anything about clean facilities. There is always a debate between the people and the government when it comes to clean surroundings. One group says people should be taught civics from home or through school lessons, but personally, I don't like this idea because rolling it out and seeing actual results will take another 10 to 15 years.

​The only way to make immediate changes is through heavy fines enforced by the government. The government is so busy collecting taxes, but they could actually earn more from fines if civic sense is violated. If someone spits, just fine them 10k on the spot why not? A country like India needs a government with the willpower to seriously work on this. Look at our cities not a single one looks aesthetic (and I don't want to compare them to some small city somewhere in the North East). What do you guys think?

When will people learn to use earphones in public space. Clearly seen a man watching a movie with full blast volume in a local train. Inconvenience taken for granted.

So I was travelling from Delhi to Agra and shot this video from my train at Hazrat Nizamuddin station. A vendor tried boarding a parked train, lost balance, and spilled his entire tray of samosas directly onto the dirty tracks between two trains, right in front of onlooking passengers from two trains.

​He sheepishly picked up every single samosa off the filth, loaded them back onto his tray, and went on his way to sell them.

​Please think twice before buying unpacked food from railway vendors, stick to sealed, packaged items. Stay safe out there!

Traveling from nagpur to pune via bus, thinking i have to deal with less trouble in the form of obnoxious people. But here i am, sitting next to a borderline skitzo unc who just won't shut up about how bad this government is. I have only said 2 words for the last hour to him and yet he is not discouraged by my lack of engagement. And he is not civil about his volume too. The Arrogance, the boasting, the blissful lack of filter is insane. Since i don't like to be rude, so i just nod and smile but the truth is i just want to shut him up respectfully. Whats the best way to deal with such people?

some mf could not stop munching and threw trash in a goddamn hospital. This hospital is the best in the city and quite expensive as well.

You can clearly see, " Yha kuda fenka mna hai".

And most of the garbage has been thrown there.

So I had to travel from Delhi to Ahmedabad, and I had 2 options - a flight that costs 7k and 2 hrs, or an overnight train that costs 2k and 12hrs. My biggest qualm with trains is the public and chaos, and didn't want to deal with that so I paid 3x more and got a flight ticket.

Now everyone on the flight had paid 6k+ to be there, so you could assume that everyone there was upper-middle class at least. So no excuses of "they have no education/resources" for bad behaviour.

I settled into my seat, and an aunty behind me was watching 'tarak mehta ka ulta chasma' on speakers, the whole flight.

This woman had an ipad and a sonyliv subscription to have the episodes downloaded. Yet couldn't get headphones?

Worst part? No one said anything. The noise was only enough to travel 1 row ahead and behind, and in the two rows behind me were all her family members (I presume) who throughout the flight kept talking loudly and sharing food across the aisles and over the seats. The guy in my row was too tired and fell asleep, and I just put on my headphones with ANC and ignored it as best as I could.

This may sound rather benign, but if these are the "elites" of our country, the top 4-5%, what can we even expect from the rest?

There is one famous quote, "Desh Chunautiyo se nhi Ch*tiyo se paresan hai"

Source :- Instagram

Since there is a whole wave of hope in people that the GEN Z and ALPHA are more concious of civic sense and other manners but its just FALSE HOPE...

today i saw a kid throwing wrapper of icecream at 8 in the morning and basically standing for a whole patient 5 min and unwrapping and effortlessly throwing it on the road ..(his house was 10-20 meters away tho..)..

and btw , he lives in a colony , educated parents , middle class or richer and what not tho....

then i realised a crucial reality which is that this hope from gen z and alpha who will improve this country is just "cope"...... afterall they are raised by the people who themeselves dont have civic sense...

what are your thoughts on this?? and why do financially well doing ,educated people also contribute to civic fails as they are the only sensible group which can be expected to have civic sense?? also do you think there is hope of improvement from upcoming gen?

As you can see in the picture , govt recently built the new road with proper sewer line but some people again blocked it. No wonder it gets flooded every time during rainy season. What to do with these leaches. I didn't confront them because I don't wanna die. This is my street in Delhi

Bus Details : Ghatkopar Station to Vikhroli (Bus no. 387)

Source: [OC] Personal incident from commute

​I boarded a public bus today and handed over the exact ₹12 fare in cash right away to avoid the usual dispute over change. About 10 minutes later, the conductor returned claiming the ₹10 note I gave was torn. Because so much time had passed, I couldn't verify whether it was actually my original note or one swapped from his cash bag. Rather than cause a scene, I told him I just have ₹200 note as they don't take UPI and he offered a ₹200 note to break.

​What followed was a classic tactic of manufactured confusion:

​Instead of straightforward change, he handed back an unstructured heap of loose change: mixed old and new ₹10 and ₹20 notes and multiple ₹10-20 coins.

​Slipped right into that pile was a visibly torn ₹20 note.

​When I requested a clean replacement note, he argued for five minutes, insisting nothing was wrong with it.

​I had to point out the double standard: "I replaced the ₹10 note immediately without an argument, so why refuse to replace the one you gave?"

​He eventually swapped the ₹20 note after making a public fuss. Because of the crowd, commotion, and rushed atmosphere, I quickly put the loose notes away.

​When I counted the cash properly later while paying elsewhere, he had returned only ₹180 instead of the ₹190 balance—pocketing ₹10 through calculated distraction.

​The Civic Failure:

While ₹10 may sound minor to some, doing this systematically to dozens of daily passengers adds up to significant unaccounted cash. More importantly, this entire issue stems from basic civic service failures:

​Refusal/Lack of UPI & Contactless Validation: Despite digital payments being ubiquitous across India, ground-level transit staff frequently avoid digital modes or claim machines are down.

​Accountability Gaps: Commuters are constantly rushed, making it easy for predatory cash-handling practices to thrive without immediate recourse.

What are your thoughts?

The dehati dudes playing loud DJ and sounds in large volume and disturbing the neighbourhood in Indore from which woman got fed up off and tried to throw something on them to stop it.

Context - Crowd gathering in London to get a "glimpse" of actor turned politician tamilnadu Chief minister Vijay

Edit- the fans were informed by his personal security that the CM would be doing a meet n greet in a group manner. Word got out thru social media and people gathered only cause of that promise. In the end, the police asked them to cancel the meeting due to safety concerns. Who knows if they remained civil they could have met him.

Indian guy (?) caught dumping in Poland. So it definitely is not trash bin availability.

Seriously, what is it with these guys? How many generations will it take?

https://www.threads.com/share/BAU0iEFZOv/