India Among the Most Corrupt Countries: Transparency Report

The Index reveals that the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.

By Rakesh Raman

The 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released Tuesday by Transparency International reveals that India is among the most corrupt countries of the world.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

More than two-thirds of countries score below 50 on this year’s CPI, with an average score of 43. India, with a score of just 41, is ranked 78 in the world. In other words, India is more corrupt than 77 other countries.

[ Corruption Makes Governance Inefficient and Ineffective: Expert ]

As bureaucratic and political corruption is rampant in India, the recent cases of Rafale scam and the removal of CBI director Alok Verma surreptitiously by a 3-member committee headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi have further tarnished India’s image in the world. And now India – under PM Modi’s regime – is categorized among the most corrupt countries of the world.

“Corruption is much more likely to flourish where democratic foundations are weak and, as we have seen in many countries, where undemocratic and populist politicians can use it to their advantage,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair, Transparency International.

[ India Removes Top Anti-Corruption Officer. But Why? ]

The Index reveals that the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.

“With many democratic institutions under threat across the globe – often by leaders with authoritarian or populist tendencies – we need to do more to strengthen checks and balances and protect citizens’ rights,” said Patricia Moreira, Managing Director of Transparency International. “Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle, where corruption undermines democratic institutions and, in turn, weak institutions are less able to control corruption.”

[ The Integrity Bulletin Launched to Cover Corruption Issues ]

The 2018 CPI draws on 13 surveys and expert assessments to measure public sector corruption. Denmark and New Zealand top the Index with 88 and 87 points, respectively. Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria are at the bottom of the index, with 10, 13 and 13 points, respectively.

The highest scoring region is Western Europe and the European Union, with an average score of 66, while the lowest scoring regions are Sub-Saharan Africa (average score 32) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (average score 35).

Transparency International is a global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption for the past 25 years.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications on different subjects.