India Ranked Less Corrupt Than China for the First Time in 18 Years

[Gollum]

Great news. At this rate we will break the top tier in a few years time.

Transparency International’s annual survey ranked India as less corrupt than China for the first time in 18 years as a nationwide outcry against corruption helped lift global perceptions of the South Asian nation. In the yearly ranking of least-corrupt countries, India jumped 10 places from in its ranking last year to 85th out of the 175. China tumbled 20 places in the ranking to number 100. The last time India did better than China in the rankings was 1996. The Berlin-based watchdog surveyed multilateral banks, big foundations and other international institutions about the level of corruption in different countries to come up with its annual Corruption Perceptions Index which was used for the rankings. Perceptions about India were helped as street protests and national elections focused the world’s largest democracy’s attention on corruption, said the Berlin-based watchdog. The call for a crackdown on corruption led to new laws and a new government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in May on pledges to fight corruption. Transparency International India executive director Ashutosh Kumar Mishra gives credit to the anti-corruption movement sparked by Gandhian Anna Hazare. His high-profile protests helped force the previous government to create a number of anti-corruption bills. China slipped below India after it lost more ground than almost any other country in the rankings, suggesting that many observers are unconvinced by President Xi Jinping’s high-profile campaign to combat corruption. While the two Asian giants have had the same rankings in 2006 and 2007, this is the first time China has been below India in the rankings since 1996, the first year Transparency International had rankings. While it may have gained a little ground this year, India still has a long way to go before it can be ranked near the least-corrupt countries like Australia, Canada, Singapore and Denmark. “Despite the engagement, innovation and participation of vibrant civil society, media and people at large, corruption continues to be one of the country’s biggest challenges,†the report said. The ranking still “reveals India’s bitter reality of political corruption.†To improve its place Prime Minister Modi has to act fast to pass and implement anti-corruption laws, said Mr. Mishra. “The government should focus on pending anti-corruption bills,†he said.

http://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/12/03/india-ranked-less-corrupt-than-china-for-the-first-time-in-18-years/

[achilles]

I don't necessarily agree with the rankings that seem to show that the Western world is bereft of corruption and its a cardinally non-Capitalist sin. This survey seems to paint all non-US allies as corrupt.

[Texan]

I don't necessarily agree with the rankings that seem to show that the Western world is bereft of corruption and its a cardinally non-Capitalist sin. This survey seems to paint all non-US allies as corrupt.

Bureaucratic corruption is extremely low in the US. I have never encountered a corrupt officer during my stay here, whether it is getting your driving license test, police officers stopping you for speeding or any Social Security Office. I believe there is some high level corruption, but quite often they get punished too. Read about Rod Blagojevich, in case not familiar.

[Mariyam]

Interesting tidbit: In Chinese prisons , a substantial minority of those incarcerated are for what Chinese law describes as " corrupt practices". In India, you have a minuscule percentage of the prison population for corruption related crimes. I would take these rankings with a pinch of salt.