🗞️ Why in News Transparency International released the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, placing India at rank 91 (score 39/100) — a five-rank improvement from 96th in 2024 — against a backdrop of a declining global average (42/100, the lowest in over a decade) and increasing erosion of anti-corruption institutions worldwide.
CPI 2025 — India’s Position in Context
India’s improvement from rank 96 (2024) to rank 91 (2025) is a modest but meaningful signal. However, at a score of 39/100, India remains well below the global average of 42 and far from the threshold of 50 that defines the boundary between the “majority-clean” and “majority-corrupt” categories in perception.
India’s trajectory on CPI:
| Year | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 85 | 40 |
| 2022 | 85 | 40 |
| 2023 | 93 | 39 |
| 2024 | 96 | 39 |
| 2025 | 91 | 39 |
The score of 39/100 has remained largely stagnant over 2023–25, suggesting the rank improvement reflects a relative decline of peers more than an absolute improvement in India’s governance quality.
What CPI Measures — and Does Not Measure
The CPI measures perceptions of public sector corruption — as assessed by business executives, country analysts, and citizens through 13 data sources (World Bank, World Economic Forum, Economist Intelligence Unit, etc.). It does not measure:
- Actual corruption incidents or prosecution rates
- Private sector corruption
- Tax evasion, illicit flows, or money laundering volumes
This is both the index’s strength (broad, comparable) and its limitation (perceptions lag reality; bias toward formal sector experiences).
Institutional Architecture for Anti-Corruption in India
India’s anti-corruption infrastructure is substantial on paper but fragmented in practice:
| Institution | Mandate | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) | Supervise corruption in Central Government | Advisory only; no prosecution powers |
| Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) | Investigate corruption, economic offences | Requires prior sanction for senior officials; “caged parrot” criticism |
| Enforcement Directorate (ED) | Investigate money laundering (PMLA 2002) | Criticism of selective use for political purposes |
| Lokpal (since 2019) | Investigate complaints against PM, Ministers, MPs, Group A officials | Slow operationalisation; no state-level counterpart for most states |
| State Lokayuktas | State-level anti-corruption | Highly uneven effectiveness; weakly empowered in most states |
Structural gaps:
- Whistleblower protection: The Whistleblowers Protection Act 2014 has not been enforced — the Rules were never notified; amendments diluting the Act were introduced but not passed; no functioning mechanism exists
- Electoral funding corruption: Political parties are exempted from CVC/RTI scrutiny; the Electoral Bonds scheme (struck down by SC in 2024) was seen as enabling quid-pro-quo donations
- Prior sanction requirement: CBI and state police require government sanction before prosecuting serving officers above Joint Secretary level under Section 17A of the PC Act — creating a protective shield
The Global Picture — Why the Average is Declining
CPI 2025 recorded the lowest global average (42/100) in over a decade. Contributing factors:
- Backsliding on rule of law and judicial independence in several democracies
- Rise of executive dominance and undermining of anti-corruption institutions in multiple countries
- 829 journalists killed globally since 2012 while investigating corruption — a direct attack on accountability
- Weakening of international anti-corruption cooperation (UNCAC implementation) during geopolitical fragmentation
Denmark’s performance (89/100, top for 8 consecutive years) reflects the value of: strong parliamentary oversight, independent judiciary, free press, transparent public procurement, and high civil service salaries reducing incentive for graft.
What India Needs to Do
Short-term (administrative reform):
- Notify Whistleblowers Protection Rules (under 2014 Act) without further delay
- Expand online government procurement under GeM (Government e-Marketplace) to all states and PSUs — reducing discretionary procurement
- Strengthen asset declaration and conflict-of-interest rules for all senior officials
Medium-term (institutional reform):
- Empower Lokpal with direct prosecution authority and a dedicated investigation wing
- Extend RTI Act coverage to political parties (aligned with CIC recommendation)
- Separate CBI from Ministry of Home Affairs — a Director of Public Prosecutions model with Parliamentary oversight
Long-term (structural reform):
- Reduce state discretion in land allocation, mining leases, and licences — which are the primary corruption nexus at state level
- Implement One Nation One Register for property records to reduce title fraud
- Reform public procurement law to ensure competitive bidding is the default and single-vendor routes are the exception with mandatory disclosure
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: CPI 2025 (India rank 91, score 39, publisher Transparency International), CVC, CBI, ED, PMLA 2002, Lokpal (established 2019 under Lokpal Act 2013), Whistleblowers Protection Act 2014, Prior Sanction (PC Act, Section 17A), GeM. Mains GS-2: Anti-corruption institutional framework; civil service reforms; accountability mechanisms; federalism and state-level governance quality. GS-4: Ethics and integrity in governance; whistleblower protection; corruption as an ethical issue in public service.
📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia
CPI 2025 — Key Data:
- Publisher: Transparency International (founded 1993, Berlin)
- Scale: 0–100 (0 = most corrupt; 100 = least)
- Countries evaluated: 182
- India: rank 91, score 39/100 (improved from 96th in 2024)
- India vs South Asia: Better than all except Bhutan (rank 18, score 71)
- Top: Denmark (89, 8th consecutive year)
- Bottom: Somalia and South Sudan (9), Venezuela (10)
- Global average: 42/100 — lowest in a decade; 122 countries below 50
India Anti-Corruption Institutions:
- CVC (Central Vigilance Commission): advisory; no direct prosecution
- CBI: requires prior sanction for senior officials (Section 17A, PC Act)
- ED: enforces PMLA 2002; investigates money laundering
- Lokpal: established 2019 under Lokpal Act 2013; covers PM, Ministers, MPs, Group A officials
- Whistleblowers Protection Act 2014: passed but Rules not notified (dysfunctional)
Other Relevant Facts:
- UNCAC (UN Convention Against Corruption): adopted 2003; India ratified 2011
- 829 journalists killed globally since 2012 investigating corruption (Transparency International)
- GeM (Government e-Marketplace): online public procurement portal; covers central and some state procurement
- Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 amended in 2018; introduced Section 17A (prior sanction)
- Second ARC (Administrative Reforms Commission, 2nd edition, 2005–09): extensively covered anti-corruption reforms in its 4th Report
Sources: The Hindu, Transparency International