Corruption Perceptions Index 2025

Context

Transparency International released the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), placing India at 91st position among 182 countries. This marks a five-place rise from its 96th rank in the previous year. While the ascent reflects marginal progress, India's score of 39 remains below the global average, signaling that corruption continues to be a systemic structural challenge.

About the CPI 2025

The Index: The CPI ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). It aggregates data from 13 different surveys and assessments by experts and business executives.

Key Global Insights:

Top Performers: Denmark (89), Finland, and Singapore continue to lead as the world's cleanest nations.
Bottom Performers: Somalia and South Sudan (9) remain at the bottom, highlighting the link between conflict and corruption.
Democracy Backslide: Countries like the UK (20th) and US (29th) have seen declines due to weakening standards and political funding opacity.
Regional Trends: The Asia-Pacific region witnessed Gen Z-led protests (e.g., in Nepal and Indonesia) against unaccountable leadership and poor public services.

Reasons for Corruption Persistence in India

Bureaucratic Red Tape: Complex regulations and opaque approval processes create "gatekeeping" opportunities. In 2024, multiple investigations into state land acquisitions revealed officials demanding bribes to bypass procedural delays.
Targeting of Journalists: The 2025 report specifically labels India as dangerous for journalists investigating corruption. A staggering 90% of journalist killings globally occur in countries with scores below 50.
Weak Whistleblower Protection: Despite existing laws, individuals exposing mining or sand mafias continue to face severe physical threats and harassment.
Political Funding Opacity: The influence of money in elections sustains a corrupt ecosystem, with ongoing 2025 debates focusing on the lack of transparency in funding following the scrapping of previous bond schemes.
Normalization of 'Speed Money': A societal tendency toward jugaad (shortcuts) makes petty bribery common for basic services like RTO driving tests.

Initiatives & Challenges

Counter-Corruption Measures:

Digitalization: The expansion of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and e-governance has successfully eliminated many middlemen.
Legal Strengthening: The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2024 introduced stricter penalties and provisions for asset forfeiture.
Tech Integration: States are adopting Blockchain for immutable land records and AI-powered tools within the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to detect financial fraud.

Major Implementation Barriers:

Judicial Backlog: Trials for high-profile scams from the 2010s are still pending in 2025, significantly reducing the deterrent effect of the law.
Cross-Border Complexity: Recovering illicit funds from foreign tax havens remains difficult due to complex Hawala networks that bypass formal banking.
Technological Misuse: Fraudsters are now using deepfakes and encrypted platforms to facilitate "digital arrest" scams and other extortions.

Way Forward

Institutional Autonomy: Granting fixed tenures and greater independence to investigative agencies like the CBI and ED to reduce political interference.
Fast-Track Justice: Establishing dedicated courts mandated to conclude corruption trials within a one-year timeframe.
Transparency in Finance: Moving toward a public-funded election model to curb illicit corporate influence.
Ethics Education: Integrating integrity training into school curriculums and civil service induction to foster a long-term cultural shift.

Conclusion

India’s move to 91st rank is a positive sign of incremental progress, yet the score of 39 warns of a deep-rooted malaise. For India to break into the top tier, the focus must shift from digital symbols of reform to substantive enforcement and the protection of those who speak truth to power.

Corruption Perceptions Index 2025