Civic sense is often reflected in small, everyday actions, from following public rules to keeping shared spaces clean and helping people in need. The Gross Domestic Behaviour (GDB) Survey 2025, conducted by the India Today Group in collaboration with How India Lives and Kadence International, assessed civic behaviour across India.
The survey covered 9,188 respondents across 21 states and one Union Territory. It examined attitudes towards civic behaviour along with public safety, gender attitudes, diversity and discrimination.
Here are the top 10 Indian states and regions that ranked highest for civic sense and responsible public behaviour.
1. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu topped the list and emerged as the highest-ranked state for civic behaviour in the GDB Survey 2025.
The state recorded particularly strong responses on attitudes towards bribery. Around 75% of respondents strongly disagreed with the idea that bribery is acceptable, giving Tamil Nadu the top position overall.
2. West Bengal
West Bengal secured the second position and stood out for its response to accidents and emergencies.
The state ranked first on the question of whether people would stop to help after witnessing an accident and call the police or an ambulance. This reflected a strong sense of public responsibility among respondents.
3. Odisha
Odisha ranked third on the list and performed strongly across several measures of responsible public behaviour.
The state ranked second nationally on attitudes towards bribery, with 73% of respondents strongly disagreeing that paying a bribe is sometimes necessary.
4. Delhi
Delhi secured the fourth position and emerged as the highest-ranked Union Territory in the civic behaviour list.
Its strongest performance came in the area of public transport etiquette. Delhi ranked first when respondents were asked about travelling without a ticket or avoiding payment of the required fare.
5. Kerala
Kerala took the fifth position and performed well on questions related to public cleanliness and responsible use of public services.
The state ranked first on the question of whether people could justify throwing garbage on roads simply because a dustbin was not available.
6. Haryana
Haryana ranked sixth and recorded a strong performance on environmental responsibility.
The state topped the survey’s question on concern about climate change, with 78% of respondents strongly agreeing that they cared about climate change.
7. Jharkhand
Jharkhand secured the seventh position in the ranking.
The state performed well on several everyday civic behaviour questions, including attitudes towards littering and travelling without a valid ticket. Its overall performance placed it among the top-ranked states in the survey.
8. Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh ranked eighth and showed relatively responsible attitudes across several civic behaviour indicators.
Respondents from the state performed well on questions related to littering, ticketless travel and bribery. Himachal Pradesh ranked sixth nationally on the question related to littering.
9. Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand featured among the better-performing states, particularly on environmental awareness and responsible use of public services.
The state ranked second nationally on concern about climate change, highlighting strong environmental awareness among respondents.
10. Maharashtra
Maharashtra completed the top 10, securing the tenth position.
Respondents in the state showed a particularly strong willingness to help people involved in accidents. Maharashtra also performed well on several other civic behaviour indicators, including attitudes towards bribery.
What the GDB Survey 2025 looked at
The GDB Survey 2025 attempted to measure how people view and respond to everyday civic responsibilities. The findings covered issues such as bribery, littering, public transport etiquette, helping accident victims and concern about climate change.
The rankings offer a snapshot of public attitudes across different parts of India and highlight the areas where respondents showed stronger support for responsible civic behaviour.