As of 2010, India is amongst the most corrupt governments in the world, though one of the least corrupt in
South Asia. "India needs to deal with
the malice of corruption and improve governance in Asia's third-largest economy." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on March 18, 2011.
Criminalization of Indian politics is a serious problem. In July 2008 The Washington Post reported that nearly a fourth of the 540 Indian
Parliament members faced criminal charges, "including human trafficking, immigration rackets, embezzlement, rape and even murder".
India tops the list for black money in the entire world with almost US$1456 billion in Swiss banks (USD 1.4 trillion approximately) in the form of
black money. According to the data provided by the Swiss Banking Association Report (2006), India has more black money than the rest of the
world combined. Indian Swiss bank account assets are worth 13 times the country’s national debt. Indian black money is sometimes physically
transferred abroad. The CEO of a Mumbai-based equity firm recently told journalists that the money is flown abroad in "special flights" out of
Mumbai and Delhi airports to Zurich. Indeed Indians would be the largest depositors of illegal money in Swiss banks, according to sources in the
banking industry. The estimated average amount stashed away annually from India during 2002–2006 is $27.3 billion US dollars.
Independent reports have recently calculated India's traditionally ruling family's (Gandhi's) financial net worth to be anywhere between $9.41
billion (Rs 42,345crore) to $18.66 billion (Rs 83,900crore), most of it in the form of illegal monies. Harvard scholar Yevgenia
Albats cited KGB correspondence about payments to Rajiv Gandhi and his family, which had been arranged by Viktor Chebrikov, which shows
that KGB chief Viktor Chebrikov sought in writing an "authorization to make payments in US dollars to the family members of Rajiv Gandhi,
namely Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Paola Maino, mother of Sonia Gandhi" from the CPSU in December 1985. “The recent scams involving
unimaginably big amounts of money, such as the 2G spectrum scam, are well known. It is estimated that more than trillion dollars are stashed
away in foreign havens, while 80% of Indians earn less than 2$ per day and every second child is malnourished. It seems as if only
thehonest people are poor in India and want to get rid of their poverty by education, emigration to cities, and immigration, whereas all the corrupt
ones, like Hasan Ali Khan are getting rich through scam sand crime. It seems as if India is a rich country filled with poor people, the organisers
of Dandi March II in the United States said.
Despite this, India is sitting on unused foreign aid of over 100,000crore (US$22.2 billion) reflecting inadequate planning by ministries like urban
development, water resources and energy, a report by government auditor Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said. “As on
March 31, 2010, unutilised committed external assistance was of the order of Rs.105,339crore,” the CAG said in its report tabled in Parliament on
18 March 2011. In fact, the Indian government has paid commitment charges of 86.11crore (US$19.12 million) out of taxpayer-money during
2009–10 in the form of penalty for not timely utilising the aid approved by multilateral and bilateral lending agencies.
In a most recent example of corruption, even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probes US$8 billion worth transactions allegedly involving
suspected money launderer Hasan Ali Khan, evidence available with a news source in India shows that he had transactions of over
112,000crore (US$24.86 billion) between years 2005 and 2006. This amount is enough to fund the national drinking water project in all the
six lakhs (600,000) villages in India for the next 10 years.
CORRUPTION IN INDIAN POLITICS
In the period 2010-2011, India witnessed various scandals being blown apart by the media, whistle-blowers, civil society activists and government
investigation agencies alike. Scams like 2G spectrum scam, Adarsh Housing Society Scam, Commonwealth Games scam and many more
brought about name of various Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers and even members of the Armed Forces. This showed how deeply entrenched
corruption has become in India. It has led to a more expansive civil society movement that wishes to fight graft with the strictest of laws and
penalties. India Against Corruption is a body created by various prominent activists and the citizens of India. It has no political affiliations and only
wishes to bring about drastic changes in the governance system of India so as to tackle corruption effectively.
Swami Ramdev has also publicly raised the issue of Indian money stashed away illegally in Swiss bank which is estimated to be between 1-1.5
trillion USD. He says that the government must take concrete action and bring back the money as it belongs to the people of India and has been
taken out of the country illegally.[1]
BLACK MONEY IN INDIAN POLITICS
Some reports have indicated that Indian politicians make use of black money. [1] The Times of India argued that the rising cost of
electoral expenses has made it necessary for many politicians to use black money to finance campaigns. [2]
Independent reports have recently[when?] calculated India's traditionally ruling family's (Gandhi's) financial net worth to be
anywhere between $9.41 billion (Rs 42,345 crore) to $18.66 billion (Rs 83,900 crore), most of it in the form of illegal monies.
[3]
Harvard scholar Yevgenia Albats cited KGB correspondence about payments to Rajiv Gandhi and his family, which had been
arranged by Viktor Chebrikov,[4][5][6] which shows that KGB chief Viktor Chebrikov sought in writing an "authorization to make
payments in US dollars to the family members of Rajiv Gandhi, namely Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Paola Maino, mother
of Sonia Gandhi" from the CPSU in December 1985. “The recent scams involving unimaginably big amounts of money, such as
the 2G spectrum scam, are well known. It is estimated that more than trillion dollars are stashed away in foreign havens, while
80% of Indians earn less than 2$ per day and every second child is malnourished. It seems as if only thehonest people are
poor in India and want to get rid of their poverty by education, emigration to cities, and immigration, whereas all the corrupt
ones, like Hasan Ali Khan are getting rich through scamsand crime. It seems as if India is a rich country filled with poor people,
[7]
” the organisers of Dandi March II in the United States said.
Reasons for corruption in India
CORRUPTION IN INDIAN BUREAUCRACY
A 2005 study done by Transparency International (TI) in India found that more than 50% of the people had firsthand experience of paying bribe or
peddling influence to get a job done in a public office. [2]Taxes and bribes are common between state borders; Transparency International
estimates that truckers pay annually US$5 billion in bribes.[3] A 2009 survey of the leading economies of Asia, revealed Indian bureaucracy to be
not just least efficient out of Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Indonesia;
further it was also found that working with India's civil servants was a "slow and painful" process. [28]
Medical scandals in India
In Government Hospitals, corruption is associated with non availability of medicines (or duplicate/fake medicines), getting admission,
consultations with doctors and availing diagnostic services. [2] There have been cases of diversion of medical supplies from government hospitals
and clinics[citation needed] as well as supply and distribution of medicines of inferior quality [citation needed] Some hospitals are charging extra amounts from
rich people. In India there is an unfair co-operation for medi-insurance companies and hospitals.
Corruption in Indian judiciary
Corruption is rampant in the judicial system of India. According to Transparency International, judicial corruption in India is
attributable to factors such as "delays in the disposal of cases, shortage of judges and complex procedures, all of which are
exacerbated by a preponderance of new laws".[34]
Corruption in Indian armed forces
The Indian Armed Forces have frequently witnessed corruption involving senior armed forces officers from the Indian Army, Indian
Navy and Indian Air Force. Many officers have been caught for allegedly selling defence stores in the black market in the border districts of Indian
states and territories. Recent sukhna land scandal involving four Indian Lieutenant Generals has shaken public faith in the country's growing
military at a time when large sums are being spent on modernising the armed forces. A string of eye-popping fraud cases has damaged the
institution in recent years.[35][36][37] The latest Adarsh land scam is another example of the nexus between the armed forces , bureaucracy and the
politicians in the embezzlement of government property.
Corruption in Indian police
Indian Police remains amongst the most corrupt departments of government. Even basic functions like lodging a FIR or reporting a theft can not
be done without paying bribe to police officials. Cases are firstly not registered, victims are encouraged, even threatened for not filing an official
complaint. If a case somehow gets registered, the police usually do not take any action. The corrupt politicians and policemen go like hand in
glove, often resulting in exploitation of the masses. Despite State prohibitions against torture and custodial misconduct by the police, torture is
widespread in police custody, which is a major reason behind deaths in custody. [38][39] The police often torture innocent people until a 'confession'
is obtained to save influential and wealthy offenders. [40] G.P. Joshi, the programme coordinator of the Indian branch of the Commonwealth Human
Rights Initiative in New Delhi comments that the main issue at hand concerning police violence is a lack of accountability of the police. [41]
Corruption in Indian religious institutions
In India, the corruption has also crept into religious institutions. Some of the Church of North India are making money by selling Baptism
certificates.[42] A group of church leaders and activists has launched a campaign to combat the corruption within churches. The chief economic
consequences of corruption are the loss to the economy an unhealthy climate for investment and an increase in the cost of government-
subsidised services. The TI India study estimates the monetary value of petty corruption in 11 basic services provided by the government, like
education, healthcare, judiciary, police, etc., to be around 21,068 crore (US$4.7 billion). India still ranks in the bottom quartile of developing
nations in terms of the ease of doing business, and compared to China and other lower developed Asian nations, the average time taken to
secure the clearances for a startup or to invoke bankruptcy is much greater.
Anti-corruption efforts
Privatization and Commercialization of Corruption Overhaul System
The Privatization and Commercialization of Corruption Overhaul System (2011) is a proposed solution to remove organized corruption by
privatizing corruption overhaul system, and providing financial motivation to the private companies working in sector of Corruption finding
and probing business. The solution is offered by a group of Indians named themselves as "Indian Patriots" and they are promoting this
solution at their website page
The solution if drafted by the "Indian Patriots" founder and president Bharat Chovatiya and it was made publicly available on March, 15
2011.
Right to information act
The Right to Information Act (2005) and equivalent acts in the states, that require government officials to furnish information requested
by citizens or face punitive action, computerization of services and various central and state government acts that established vigilance
commissions have considerably reduced corruption or at least have opened up avenues to redress grievances. The 2006 report by
Transparency International puts India at the 70th place and states that significant improvements were made by India in reducing
corruption.
Ombudsmen
The LokAyukta is an anti-government corruption organization in the Indian [Link] institutions are based on the Ombudsman in
Scandinavian countries. An amendment to the Constitution has been proposed to implement the Lokayukta uniformly across Indian States
as a three-member body, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or high court chief justice, and comprise of the state vigilance
commissioner and a jurist or an eminent administrator as other members.
Social welfare worker Anna Hazare who is not linked to any political party has forced the Indian Government to notify the Committee for
the implementation of the Lokayukta against corruption as an independent body and also giving enough powers to the Lokayukta to also
receive corruption complaints against politicians, bureaucrats and even sitting judges. Anna Hazare has achieved this big success through
his non-violence measures like fasting till death at the Jantar Mantar place in Delhi Capital City of India . The public also gave nation-wide
support to Anna Hazare in his demand for strong and tough anti-corruption law.
Whistleblowers
Whistleblowers play a major role in the fight against corruption. India currently does not have a law to protect whistleblowers, which was
highlighted by the assassination of Satyendra Dubey. Indian courts are regularly ordering probe in cases of murders or so-called suicide of
several whistle blowers. One of the latest case of such murder is of V Sasindran Company Secretary of Palakkad based Malabar Cement
Limited, a Government company in Kerala and his two minor children, Kerala High Court ordered CBI probe on 18 February 2011. Initially,
CBI showed its unwillingness for probing into such cases citing over-burden as a reason.
Some have called for the Central Government to create an anti-theft law enforcement agency that investigates and prosecutes corruption
at all levels of government, including state and local level. Special courts that are more efficient than the traditional Indian courts with
traveling judges and law enforcement agents are being proposed. The proposal has not yet been acted upon by the Indian government.
Certain states such as Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Pradesh Anti-corruption Bureau) and Karnataka (Lokayukta) have similar agencies and
courts.
Main article: Anti-corruption initiatives by civil society in India
Several new initiatives have come up in the civil sector to raise awareness about Corruption related issues and to build anti-corruption
platforms. 5th Pillar is one such organization that is promoting the use of Zero Rupee Notes to fight corruption by shaming the officials
who ask for bribe. Another popular initiative Jaago Re! One Billion Votes from Tata Tea has now changed its focus from voter registration
to fighting corruption. [Link] is another platform for corruption free India and advocates the use of direct and regular measurement
of corruption to force the hands of the leadership into dealing with corruption related issues.
Another platform is [Link] India Against Corruption is a movement created by concerned citizens from all
spheres, and professions, who have come together to fight corruption in India. [Link] one such site.
People For Lok Satta has taken the initiative to lead the National Campaign Against Corruption and Dandi March II.
Another site is [Link], which intends to create a database of all the corruption in India. It includes names and details of many
scams and scamsters since independence. It is inspired by G. R. Khairnar, the erstwhile Mumbai Municipal Deputy Commissioner who is
known for his one man fight against corruption.