When Narendra Modi took charge as Prime Minister in 2014, he pledged to wage an uncompromising battle against corruption, with his slogan, “Na Khaoonga, Na Khane Doonga.” However, the latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey shows that 43% of respondents believe corruption has increased during the Modi government’s tenure. A significant section of respondents also identified inflation as one of the NDA government’s biggest shortcomings.
The August Mood of the Nation survey found that unemployment remains the biggest issue facing the country.
The Mood of the Nation is a twice-yearly survey commissioned by the India Today Group for nearly two decades. The August 2026 edition was conducted by CVoter, which directly surveyed 25,184 people between July 1 and August 25. An additional 91,795 interviews conducted over the previous six months as part of CVoter’s regular tracking were also considered for the survey.
When asked about the NDA government’s biggest failure, 23% of respondents pointed to unemployment. Price rise or inflation was identified by 15.9%, while 13.9% cited economic growth. In January, only 8.5% of respondents had identified inadequate economic growth as the government’s biggest failure.
Meanwhile, 9.8% of respondents said the government’s inability to control corruption was its biggest failure.
Corruption recorded the most significant increase among the issues cited as government failures over the past six months. In January, just 1.4% of respondents had identified the government’s failure to curb corruption. That figure climbed sharply to 9.8% in the August survey.
The corruption issue has gained prominence in recent months amid allegations surrounding examination paper leaks and the protests that followed. A 45-day protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak eventually contributed to Dharmendra Pradhan stepping down as Union Education Minister.
According to the latest MOTN findings, 43% of respondents believe corruption has increased under the NDA government, while 34.8% feel it has declined. Another 14.8% said the level of corruption has remained unchanged.
The survey also identified unemployment, inflation, agricultural distress, poverty, corruption and women’s safety as some of the major concerns facing the country.
Unemployment topped the list, with 22.7% of respondents calling it the biggest problem confronting India. Inflation ranked second and recorded the largest increase in concern among respondents, rising from 12.8% in January to 18.1% in August.
