India, Dec. 14 -- Is there something in the Indian DNA that predisposes us to break the law-or at least to bend it whenever possible? At first glance, the chaotic swirl of daily life in India seems to suggest so. Traffic signals are treated as advisory opinions, civic responsibilities as optional virtues, and public spaces as the responsibility of "someone else." Yet, the very same Indian who might dismiss a red light in Delhi becomes the model of compliance in Dubai or Singapore.

How does one explain this civilisational dichotomy? To begin with, let us dismiss any suggestion of a "genetic" inclination to violate norms. No credible scientific inquiry supports such a notion. The Indian genome is not programmed to break the law. What exist...