Corruption as bad as last year: Transparency International

India's rank unchanged at 94 out of 177, which meant it is in bottom half of countries suffering from lack of transparency and corruption

Corruption in India remained as bad as last year, indicated the Transparency International (TI)'s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2013.

The index kept India's position unchanged at 94 among 177 countries, which meant it was in the bottom half of the list of countries suffering from lack of transparency and corruption.

The survey said India's low rank could be attributed to a series of scams involving government officials, politicians and private companies.

To tackle corruption and bring in transparency, the TI recommended establishment of Lokayuktas in all states, compulsory auditing of accounts of political parties, electoral reforms to prevent tainted politicians from contesting elections and holding the position of power and enactment of legislations for forfeiture of illegally acquired properties.

Country	2013 rank	2012 rank
India	94	94
Bhutan	31	33
Sri Lanka	91	79
Nepal	116	139
Pakistan	127	139
Bangladesh	136	144
Source: Transparency International

"Corruption can be tackled only if various stakeholders join hands in their effort to clean the country," said retired judge Kamleshwar Nath, chairperson of Transparency International India.

Only Bhutan (31) and Sri Lanka (91) fared better than India among its neighbours. Nepal (116), Pakistan (127) and Bangladesh (136) were way below India. While the position of Nepal and Bangladesh has slipped from last year's, Pakistan has improved by jumping eight ranks.

Denmark and New Zealand tied for the first place this year, with a score of 91, followed by Finland, Sweden and Singapore. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia cling to the bottom.