Crime in IndiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crime is present in various forms in India. Organized crime include drug trafficking, gunrunning, money

laundering, extortion, murder for hire, fraud, human trafficking and poaching. Many criminal operations engage

in black marketeering, political violence, religiously motivated violence, terrorism, and abduction. Other crimes

are homicide, robbery, assault etc. Property crimes include burglary, theft,motor vehicle theft , and arson.

Corruption is a significant problem.

Contents

  [hide] 

1 Crime over time

2 Crime by locale

3 Crimes against women

o 3.1 Sexual Harassment

o 3.2 Dowry

o 3.3 Child Marriage

o 3.4 Female infanticides and sex selective abortions

o 3.5 Domestic violence

4 Illegal drug trade

5 Arms trafficking

6 Poaching and wildlife trafficking

7 Cyber crime

8 Corruption and police misconduct

9 Crimes against foreigners in India

o 9.1 Petty crime

o 9.2 Passport theft

o 9.3 Confidence tricks

o 9.4 Taxi scam

o 9.5 Rape and sexual assault

o 9.6 Murder and manslaughter

10 See also

11 Notes

12 References

13 Further reading

14 External links

[edit]Crime over time

Incidence of cognizable crimes in India 1953-2007[1]

A report published by the National Crime Records Bureaucompared crime rate from 1953 to 2006. The report

noted thatburglary declined over a period of 53 years by 38% (from 147,379 in 1953 to 91,666 in 2006),

whereas murder has increased by 231% (from 9,803 in 1953 to 32,481 in 2006).[2] Kidnapping  has increased by

356% (from 5,261 in 1953 to 23,991 in 2006), robbery by 120% (from 8,407 in 1953 to 18,456 in 2006)

and riots by 176% (from 20,529 in 1953 to 56,641 in 2006).[2]

In 2006, 51,02,460 cognizable crimes were committed including 18,78,293 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and

32,24,167 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes, with an increase of 1.5% over 2005 (50,26,337).[3] IPC crime

rate in 2006 was 167.7 compared to 165.3 in 2005 showing an increase of 1.5% in 2006 over 2005.[3] SLL

crime rate in 2006 was 287.9 compared to 290.5 in 2005 showing a decline of 0.9% in 2006 over 2005.[3]

Year[2] Total cog. crimes under IPCMurde

rKidnapping Robbery Theft Burglary Riots

1953 6,01,964 9,802 5,261 8,407 147,379 20,529

2006 18,78,293 32,481 23,991 18,456 91,666 56,641

% Change in 2006 over 1953

212.0 231.0 356.0 120.0 -38.0 176.0

SOURCE: National Crime Records Bureau[2]

[edit]Crime by locale

Location has a significant impact on crime in India. In 2011, the highest crime rate was reported

in Trichy (447.7%) for crimes underIndian Penal Code which is 2.7 times the national crime rate of 167.7%.

[3] Kerala reported the highest crime rate at 312.5% among states.[3] Kolkata (71.0%) and Madurai (206.2%)

were the only two mega cities which reported less crime rate than their domain statesWest Bengal (79.0%)

and Tamil Nadu (227.6%).[3] Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore have accounted for 16.2%, 9.5% and 8.1%

respectively of the total IPC crimes reported from 35 mega cities.[3] Indore reported the highest crime rate

(769.1%) among the mega cities in India followed by Bhopal (719.5%) and Jaipur (597.1%).[3]

Jammu & Kashmir (33.7%), Manipur (33.0%), Assam (30.4%) and Daman and Diu and Pondicherry (29.4%)

reported higher violent crime rate compared to 18.4% at national level.[3] Uttar Pradesh reported the highest

incidence of violent crimes accounting for 12.1% of total violent crimes in India (24,851 out of 2,05,656)

followed by Bihar with 11.8% (24,271 out of 2,05,6556).[3] Among 35 mega cities, Delhi reported 31.2% (533

out of 1,706) of total rape cases.[3] Madhya Pradesh has reported the highest number of rape cases (2,900)

accounting for 15.0% of total such cases reported in the country.[3] Uttar Pradesh reported 10% (5,480 out of

32,481) of total murder cases in the country and 18.4% (4,997 out of 27,230) total attempt to murder cases. [3]

[edit]Crimes against women

Main article: Women in India

Police records show high incidence of crimes against women in India. The National Crime Records Bureau

reported in 1998 that the growth rate of crimes against women would be higher than the population growth rate

by 2010.[4] Earlier, many cases were not registered with the police due to the social stigma attached to rape and

molestation cases. Official statistics show that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported

crimes against women.[4]

[edit]Sexual Harassment

Half of the total number of crimes against women reported in 1990 related to molestation and harassment at

the workplace.[4] Eve teasing is a euphemism used for sexual harassment or molestation of women by men.

Many activists blame the rising incidents of sexual harassment against women on the influence of "Western

culture". In 1987, The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act was passed[5] to prohibit indecent

representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other

manner.

In 1997, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of India took a strong stand against sexual harassment

of women in the workplace. The Court also laid down detailed guidelines for prevention and redressal of

grievances. The National Commission for Women subsequently elaborated these guidelines into a Code of

Conduct for employers.[4]

[edit]Dowry

Main articles: Dowry and Dowry law in India

In 1961, the Government of India passed the Dowry Prohibition Act,[6] making the dowry demands in wedding

arrangements illegal. However, many cases of dowry-related domestic violence, suicides and murders have

been reported. In the 1980s, numerous such cases were reported. However, recent reports show that the

number of these crimes have reduced drastically.[7]

In 1985, the Dowry Prohibition (maintenance of lists of presents to the bride and bridegroom) rules were

framed.[8] According to these rules, a signed list of presents given at the time of the marriage to the bride and

the bridegroom should be maintained. The list should contain a brief description of each present, its

approximate value, the name of whoever has given the present and his/her relationship to the person.

A 1997 report[9] claimed that at least 5,000 women die each year because of dowry deaths, and at least a

dozen die each day in 'kitchen fires' thought to be intentional. The term for this is "bride burning" and is

criticized within India itself. Amongst the urban educated, such dowry abuse has reduced dramatically.

[edit]Child Marriage

Child marriage has been traditionally prevalent in India and continues to this day. Young girls live with their

parents until they reach puberty. In the past, the child widows were condemned to a life of great agony, shaving

heads, living in isolation, and shunned by the society.[10] Although child marriage was outlawed in 1860, it is still

a common practice.[11]

According to UNICEF’s “State of the World’s Children-2009” report, 47% of India's women aged 20–24 were

married before the legal age of 18, with 56% in rural areas.[12] The report also showed that 40% of the world's

child marriages occur in India.[13]

[edit]Female infanticides and sex selective abortions

Main article: Sex-selective abortion and infanticide

India has a highly masculine sex ratio, the chief reason being that many women die before reaching adulthood.

[4] Tribal societies in India have a less masculine sex ratio than all other caste groups. This, in spite of the fact

that tribal communities have far lower levels of income, literacy and health facilities.[4] It is therefore suggested

by many experts, that the highly masculine sex ratio in India can be attributed to female infanticides and sex-

selective abortions.

All medical tests that can be used to determine the sex of the child have been banned in India, due to incidents

of these tests being used to get rid of unwanted female children before birth. Female infanticide (killing of girl

infants) is still prevalent in some rural areas.[4]The abuse of the dowry tradition has been one of the main

reasons for sex-selective abortions and female infanticides in India.

[edit]Domestic violence

The incidents of domestive violence are higher among the lower Socio-Economic Classes (SECs). There are

various instances of an inebriated husband beating up the wife often leading to severe injuries. Domestic

violence is also seen in the form of physical abuse. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act,

2005 came into force on October 26, 2006.

[edit]Illegal drug trade

India is located between two major illicit opium producing centres in Asia - the Golden

Crescent comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan andIran and the Golden

Triangle comprising Burma, Thailand and Laos.[14] Because of such geographical location, India experiences

large amount of drug trafficking through the borders.[15] India is the world's largest producer of licit opium for the

pharmaceutical trade.[16] But an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets.[16]

India is a transshipment point for heroin from Southwest Asian countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan and

from Southeast Asiancountries like Burma, Laos, and Thailand.[17] Heroin is smuggled from Pakistan and

Burma, with some quantities transshipped through Nepal.[17] Most heroin shipped from India are destined

for Europe.[17] There have been reports of heroin smuggled from Mumbai toNigeria for further export.[17]

In Maharashtra, Mumbai is an important centre for distribution of drug.[18] The most commonly used drug in

Mumbai is Indian heroin (called desi mal by the local population).[18] Both public transportation (road and rail

transportation) and private transportation are used for this drug trade.[18]

Drug trafficking affects the country in many ways.

Drug abuse : Cultivation of illicit narcotic substances and drug trafficking affects the health of the individuals

and destroy the economic structure of the family and society.[19]

Organized crime : Drug trafficking results in growth of organized crime which affects social security.

Organised crime connects drug trafficking with corruption and money laundering.[19]

Political instability: Drug trafficking also aggravate the political instability in North-West and North-East

India.[20]

A survey conducted in 2003-2004 by Narcotics Control Bureau found that India has at least four million drug

addicts.[21] The most common drugs used in India are cannabis, hashish, opium and heroin.[21] In 2006 alone,

India's law enforcing agencies recovered 230 kg heroin and 203 kg of cocaine.[22] In an annual government

report in 2007, the United States named India among 20 major hubs for trafficking of illegal drugs along with

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Burma. However, studies reveal that most of the criminals caught in this crime are

either Nigerian or US nationals.[23]

Several measures have been taken by the Government of India to combat drug trafficking in the country. India

is a party of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the Convention on Psychotropic

Substances (1971), the Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1972) and the United

Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988).[24] An Indo-

Pakistani committee was set up in 1986 to prevent trafficking in narcotic drugs.[25] India signed a convention

with the United Arab Emirates in 1994 to control drug trafficking.[25] In 1995, India signed an agreement

with Egypt for investigation of drug cases and exchange of information and a Memorandum of Understanding

of the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Drugs with Iran.[25]

[edit]Arms trafficking

According to a joint report published by Oxfam, Amnesty International and the International Action Network on

Small Arms (IANSA) in 2006, there are around 40 million illegal small arms in India out of approximately 75

million in worldwide circulation.[26] Majority of the illegal small arms make its way into the states

of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.[26] In India, a used AK-47 costs

$3,800 in black market.[27] Large amount of illegal small arms are manufactured in various illegal arms factories

in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and sold on the black market for as little as $5.08.[26]

Chinese pistols are in demand in the illegal small arms market in India because they are easily available and

cheaper.[26] This trend poses a significant problem for the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand,

Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra, West Bengal,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh which have influence

of Naxalism.[26] The porous Indo-Nepal border is an entry point for Chinese pistols, AK-47 and M-16 rifles into

India as these arms are used by the Naxalites who have ties to Maoists in Nepal.[26]

In North-East India, there is a huge influx of small arms due to the insurgent groups operating there.[28] The

small arms in North-East India come from insurgent groups in Burma, black market in South-East

Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, black market in Cambodia, the People's

Republic of China, insurgent groups like the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, theCommunist Party of India

(Maoist), the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and pilferages from legal gun

factories, criminal organizations operating in India and South Asian countries and other international markets

like Romania,Germany etc.[28] The small arms found in North-East India are M14 rifle, M16 rifle, AK-47, AK-

56, AK-74, light machine guns, Chinesehand grenades, mines, rocket-propelled grenades, submachine

guns etc.[28]

The Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs drafted a joint proposal to the United Nations,

seeking a global ban on small-arms sales to non-state users.[26]

[edit]Poaching and wildlife trafficking

Illegal wildlife trade in India has increased.[29] According to a report published by the Environmental

Investigation Agency (EIA) in 2004, India is the chief target for the traders of wildlife skin.[30] Between 1994 and

2003, there have been 784 cases where the skins of tiger, leopard or otter have been seized.

[30] Leopards, rhinoceros, reptiles, birds, insects, rare species of plants are being smuggled into the countries

in Southeast Asia and the People's Republic of China.[29] Between 1994 and 2003, poaching and seizure of 698

otters have been documented in India.[30]

Kathmandu is a key staging point for illegal skins smuggled from India bound for Tibet and PRC.[30] The report

by EIA noted there has been a lack of cross-border cooperation between India, Nepal and the People's

Republic of China to coordinate enforcement operations and lack of political will to treat wildlife crime

effectively.[30] The poaching of the elephants is a significant problem in Southern India[31]and in the North-

Eastern states of Nagaland and Mizoram.[32] The majority of tiger poaching happen in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar

Pradesh,Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.[33] Following is a comparison of reported cases

of tiger and leopard poaching from 1998 to 2003:

Year1998

1999 20002001

2002 2003

Reported cases of tiger poaching[34] 14 38 39 35 47 8

Reported cases of leopard poaching[34] 28 80 201 69 87 15

Samir Sinha, head of TRAFFIC India, the wildlife trade monitoring arm of the World Wide Fund for

Nature (WWF) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), told Reuters in an interview "The situation regarding

the illegal trade in wildlife parts in India is very grim. It is a vast, a varied trade ranging from smuggling of rare

medicinal plants to butterflies to peafowl to tigers and it is difficult to predict how big it is, but the threats and

dimensions suggest that the trade is increasing".[29]

Project Tiger, a wildlife conservation project, was initiated in 1972 and was launched by Indira Gandhi  on April

1, 1973.[35] With 23 tiger reserves, Project Tiger claimed to have succeeded.[35] But according to critics like

conservationist Billy Arjan Singh, temporary increases in tiger population were caused by immigration due to

destruction of habitat in Nepal, not because of the widely acclaimed success of wildlife policy in India.[35]

[edit]Cyber crime

Cases of spam, computer hacking, cyber stalking and email fraud are rampant in India.[36] The Information

Technology Act 2000 was passed by the Parliament of India in May 2000, aiming to curb cyber crimes and

provide a legal framework for e-commercetransactions.[37] However Pavan Duggal, lawyer of Supreme Court of

India and cyber law expert, viewed "The IT Act, 2000, is primarily meant to be a legislation to promote e-

commerce. It is not very effective in dealing with several emerging cyber crimes like cyber

harassment, defamation, stalking and so on".[36] Although cyber crime cells have been set up in major cities,

Duggal noted the problem is that most cases remain unreported due to a lack of awareness.[36]

In 2001, India and United States had set up an India-US cyber security forum as part of a counter-terrorism

dialogue.[38] In 2006, India and the US agreed to enhance cooperation between law enforcement agencies of

the two countries in tackling cyber crimes as part of counter-terrorism efforts.[38] A joint US-India statement

released in 2006 after talks between US President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh stressed that in view of the importance of cyber security and cyber forensic research, the two countries

are also carrying out discussions on a draft protocol on cyber security.[38]

[edit]Corruption and police misconduct

Main article: Corruption in India

Corruption is widespread in India. It is prevalent within every section and every level of the society.

[39] Corruption has taken the role of a pervasive aspect of Indian politics.[40] In India, corruption takes the form

of bribes, evasion of tax and exchange controls, embezzlement, etc.

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.[41][42] The police often torture innocent people until a

'confession' is obtained to save influential and wealthy offenders.[43] G.P. Joshi, the programme coordinator of

the Indian branch of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative inNew Delhi comments that the main issue at

hand concerning police violence is a lack of accountability of the police.[44]

In 2006, the Supreme Court of India in a judgment in the Prakash Singh vs. Union of India  case, ordered

central and state governments with seven directives to begin the process of police reform. The main objectives

of this set of directives was twofold, providing tenure to and streamlining the appointment/transfer processes of

policemen, and increasing the accountability of the police.[45]

In 2006, seven policemen were charge sheeted and eleven were convicted[3] for custodial misconduct. Jan

Lokpal Bill is being planned to reduce the corruption.[46]

[edit]Crimes against foreigners in India

There are some instances of violent crime against foreigners in India.[47] Scams involving export of jewels occur

in India, which target foreign citizens.[47] Traveling alone in remote areas after dark is of particular risk to

foreigners.[48]

Because the American, Canadian and British citizens' purchasing power is relatively large compared to the

general Indian population, they are the preferred target for robbery and other serious crime.[49]

In April 1999, Swaraj Damree, a tourist from Mauritius was befriended by a group of Indians who later held him

in 25 days of captivity. They robbed him of cash amounting to US $1,500, took his travellers' cheques, wrist

watch, gold chain, bracelet, two bags and suitcase.[50] In 2000, two German trekkers were shot in Himachal

Pradesh. A few weeks later, two Spanish tourists were killed in Himachal Pradesh by robbers.[51] Many foreign

tourists are victims of violent crime in Kolkata.[52] In September 2006, criminals robbed the wallet of a British

woman in Kolkata.[52] The same month, a Japanese tourist was robbed on his way to Sudder Street .[52] In

October 2006, a foreigner was robbed in daylight on Park Street.[52]

[edit]Petty crime

Petty crime, like pickpocketing, bag snatching etc. is widespread in India. Theft of foreigners' valuables from

luggage on trains and buses is common. Travelers who are not in groups become easy victims of pickpockets

and purse snatchers. Purse snatchers work in crowded areas.[53]

[edit]Passport theft

In India, stealing passports of foreigners from their luggage on trains and buses is widespread.[47] Theft of U.S.

passports is very common, especially in major tourist areas.[49][54]

[edit]Confidence tricks

Many scams are perpetrated against foreign travelers, especially in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.

[49] Scammers usually target younger foreign tourists and suggest to them that money can be made by privately

transporting gems or gold, or by taking delivery abroad of expensive carpets, avoiding customs duties.[49]

Such incidents occupy the traveler for several days. The traveler is then passed to a new scam artist who offers

to show the foreign traveler the sights. Scam artists also offer cheap lodgings and meals to foreign travelers so

they can place him or her in the scam artist's physical custody and thus make the foreigner vulnerable to

threats and physical coercion. In the process, the foreigner loses his passport.[49]

[edit]Taxi scam

There are also taxi scams present in India, whereby a foreign traveler, who is not aware of the locations around

Indian airports, is taken for a ride round the whole airport and charged for full-fare taxi ride while the terminal is

only few hundred yards away.[53] Overseas Security Advisory Council in a report mentioned the process about

how to avoid taxi-scam.[53]

[edit]Rape and sexual assault

Incidents of rape and sexual assault against foreign tourists at popular tourist spots is increasing in India. Many

of the alleged perpetrators are children of senior government officials or politicians.[55][56] In September 1994,

Gurkirat Singh Kotli, grandson of the then CM Beant Singh, was accused of abducting and molesting a French

tourist, Katia Darnand, in Chandigarh.[57][58] In March 2006, Biti Mohanty, son of a senior police official in Orissa,

raped a German tourist in Alwar, Rajasthan.[59][60] A Japanese woman was raped in Pushkar, Rajasthan on April

2, 2006.[61][62] In June 2007, a South Korean was raped near Manali.[59] In September 2007, two Japanese

women were gang-raped in Agra,[59] a popular tourist-spot in India where the Taj Mahal  is situated.

The Indian state of Rajasthan - a popular destination among foreign tourists, with one out of every three foreign

travellers visiting the state - has been rattled by rape cases of foreign tourists.[63] On December 5, 2009, a

Russian woman was raped in Goa by a local politician, John Fernandes. In February 2008, Scarlett Keeling, a

British national aged 15, was raped and killed in Goa.[64] In January 2010, a Russian girl aged 9 was raped in

Goa;[65] referring to this and earlier cases, Russia threatened to issue an advisory asking its citizens not to

travel to the coastal state.[66] The US Bureau of Consular Affairs has warned women not to travel alone in India.

[54]However in contrast the British Foreign office only advise them to take normal precautions.[67]

[edit]Murder and manslaughter

The following are reported cases of foreigners reported missing or killed in India.

NameAge

Sex Nationality Date Circumstances Place State References

Graham Staines 58 Male Australia 1999/01/22Burned to death by Dara Singh  & gang

Manoharpur Orissa Link

Timothy Staines

7 Male Australia 1999/01/22Burned to death by Dara Singh  & gang

Manoharpur Orissa Link

Philip Staines 9 Male Australia 1999/01/22Burned to death by Dara Singh  & gang

Manoharpur Orissa Link

Michael Blakey 23 MaleUnited Kingdom

2006/11/28 Stoned to death DharamsalaHimachal Pradesh

[68][69]

Stephen Bennett

40 MaleUnited Kingdom

2006/12/11 Hanged in a jungle Roha Maharashtra [70][71]

Elena Sukhnova

24 Female Russia 2006/05/08Left dismembered on rail track

Revora Goa [72]

NameAge

Sex Nationality Date Circumstances Place State References

Browne Chapa Sherianne Maria

FemaleTrinidad and Tobago

2009/12/03 Suspected poisoning Agra Uttar Pradesh [73]

Kirill Gusev Male Russia 2009 Suspected poisoning Pernem Goa [74]

Jean-Baptiste Talleu

27 Male France 2007/12/05 Missing since Bombay Maharashtra [75]

Anna Bartlett 25 FemaleUnited Kingdom

2003/10/02 Head injuries ManaliHimachal Pradesh

[76]

Daniel Mountwitten

23 Male Australia 2005/08/05 Missing since ChallalHimachal Pradesh

[77]

Scarlett Keeling 15 FemaleUnited Kingdom

2008/02/18Drugged and assaulted

Anjuna Goa [78]

Leos Klimes Male Czech Republic 2007/08/07 Missing since LehJammu and Kashmir

[79]

[edit]See also

Corruption in IndiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.

It may contain wording that merely promotes the subject without imparting verifiable

information. Tagged since June 2011.

Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since June 2011.

Overview of the index of perception of corruption, 2010.

Political corruption

Concepts

Bribery · Cronyism · Kleptocracy

Economics of corruption · Electoral fraud

Nepotism · Slush fund · Political scandal

Corruption by country

Afghanistan · Albania · Angola

Armenia · Bahrain · Canada

Chile · China · Colombia

Cuba · Ghana · India

Indonesia · Iran · Ireland

Kenya · Kyrgyzstan · Nigeria

Pakistan · Papua New Guinea

Paraguay · Philippines · Russia

South Africa · Ukraine · United States

Venezuela · Zimbabwe

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Political, bureaucratic, corporate and individual corruption inIndia are major concerns. A 2005 study

conducted byTransparency International in India found that more than 55% of Indians had first-hand

experience of paying bribes orinfluence peddling to get jobs done in public offices successfully.[1][2]

Transparency International estimates that truckers payUS$5 billion in bribes annually.[3] In 2011 India was

ranked 95th out of 178 countries in Transparency International'sCorruption Perceptions Index.

In the book 'Corruption in India: The DNA and RNA' authored by Professor Bibek Debroy and Laveesh

Bhandari say that the public officials in India may be cornering as much as Rs.92,122 crore ($18.42 billion), or

1.26 per cent of the GDP, through corruption.[4] The books estimates that corruption has virtually

enveloped India growing annually by over 100 percent[5]and most bribery is accrued from the transport industry,

real estate and "other public services".[6] On March 31, 2010 the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said

that unutilised committed external assistance was of the order of Rs.1,05,339 crore.”[7]

“The recent scams involving unimaginably big amounts of money, such as the 2G spectrum scam, are well

known. It is estimated that more than US$1 trillion are stashed away in foreign havens, while World

Bank estimated that 80% of Indians earn less than US$2 per day and every second child is malnourished. It

seems as if only the honest 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, are getting rich through scams and crime. It

seems as if India is a rich country filled with poor people",[8] the organisers of Dandi March II in the United

States said.[9]

Contents

[hide]

1 History

2 Politics

3 Bureaucracy

o 3.1 Land and property

o 3.2 Tendering processes and awarding contracts

o 3.3 Medicine

o 3.4 Income tax department

o 3.5 Preferential award of public resources

o 3.6 Driver Licensing

3.6.1 ===Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Govt of India=====

4 Black money

o 4.1 Black Money in Switzerland

5 Judiciary

6 Armed forces

7 Right to Information Act

8 Whistleblowers

9 Anti-Corruption Laws in India

10 Anti-corruption police and courts

11 Anti-corruption organizations

12 Effects of corruption

o 12.1 Economic Concerns

13 See also

14 References

15 Further reading

16 External links

[edit]History

The economy of India was under socialist-inspired policies for an entire generation from the 1950s until the late

1980s. The economy was characterized by extensive regulation, protectionism, and public ownership, policies

vulnerable to pervasive corruption and slow growth.[10][11][12][13] License Raj was often at the core of corruption.

The Vohra Report, submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N.N. Vohra, in October 1993,

studied the problem of the criminalisation of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians

and bureaucrats in India.

The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was

virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of

politicians — of all political parties — and the protection of government functionaries. It revealed that political

leaders had become the leaders of gangs. Over the years criminals had been elected to local bodies, State

Assemblies, and even the Parliament. The unpublished annexures to the Vohra Report are believed to contain

highly explosive material.

According to Jitendra Singh, "in the bad old days, particularly pre-1991, when the License Raj held sway, and

by design, all kinds of free market mechanisms were hobbled or stymied, and corruption emerged almost as an

illegitimate price mechanism, a shadowy quasi-market, such that scarce resources could still be allocated

within the economy, and decisions could get made. ... These were largely distortions created by the politico-

economic regime. While a sea change has occurred in the years following 1991, some of the distorted cultural

norms that took hold during the earlier period are slowly being repaired by the sheer forces of competition. The

process will be long and slow, however. It will not change overnight."[14] One of the major problems and

obstacles to development that many developing countries face is corruption by greedy, power-hungry

politicians, which is endemic in certain parts of the world.

[edit]Politics

As of December 2008, 120 of India's 523 parliament members were facing criminal charges.[15] Many of the

biggest scandals since 2010 have involved very high levels of government, including Cabinet Ministers and

Chief Ministers, such as in the 2G spectrum scam, the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam and the Adarsh

Housing Society scam, Coal Mining Scam, mining scandal in Karnataka and cash for vote scam.

[edit]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.[16]

[edit]Land and property

Officials often steal state property. In cities and villages throughout India, consisting of municipal and other

government officials, elected politicians, judicial officers, real estate developers and law enforcement officials,

acquire, develop and sell land in illegal ways.[17]

[edit]Tendering processes and awarding contracts

Government officials having discretionary powers in awarding contracts engage in preferential treatment for

selected bidders and display negligence in quality control processes[citation needed]. Many state-funded construction

activities in India, such as road building, are dominated by construction mafias, which are groupings of corrupt

public works officials, materials suppliers, politicians and construction contractors.[18] Shoddy construction and

material substitution (e.g. mixing sand in cement while submitting expenses for cement) result in roads and

highways being dangerous, and sometimes simply washed away when India's heavy monsoon season arrives.

[19]

[edit]Medicine

In Government Hospitals, corruption is associated with non availability/duplication of medicines, getting

admission, consultations with doctors and availing diagnostic services. [2]

[edit]Income tax department

There have been several cases of collusion of officials of the income tax department of India for a favorable tax

treatment and relaxed prosecutions in return for bribes.[20][21]

[edit]Preferential award of public resources

See also: Illegal mining in India

As detailed earlier, land in areas with short supply is relatively common with government entities awarding

public land to private concerns at negligible rates. Other examples include the award of mining leases to private

companies without a levy of taxes that is proportionate to the market value of the ore.[citation needed]

[edit]Driver Licensing

A study conducted between 2004 and 2005 found that India’s driver licensing procedure was a hugely distorted

bureaucratic process and allows drivers to get licenses despite their low driving ability through promoting the

usage of agents. Individuals with high willingness to pay make a significant payment above the official fee and

most of these extra payments are made to agents, who act as an intermediary between bureaucrats and

applicants[22]. The average license getter paid Rs 1080, approximately 2.5 times the official fee of Rs 450, in

order to obtain a license. On average, those who hired agents had a lower driving ability, with agents helping

unqualified drivers obtain licenses and bypass the legally required driving examination. Among the surveyed

individuals, approximately 60% of the license holders did not take the licensing exam and 54% of those license

holders failed an independent driving test[23].

Agents are the channels of inefficient corruption in this bureaucratic driver licensing system, facilitating access

to licenses among those who are unqualified to drive. Some of the failures of this licensing system are caused

by corrupt bureaucrats who collaborate with agents by creating additional barriers within the system against

those who did not hire agents[24].

[edit]===Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Govt of India=====

Unstarred Question No 3757, answered on 13/12/2002 in the Loksabha [Parliament] about Purchase Scam in

Bureau of Indian Standards which is under the control of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs had given misled

information as "Delayed Installation when question was "Laboratory Equipment Purchase Scam". The fact

has been forwarded to the present Minister Mr Thomas and he had rejected for any investigation though it was

on record that none of the Equipments purchased are in working condition.

[edit]Black money

Main article: Indian black money

Black money refers to money removed from the official economy (via corruption, bribery, tax evasion, etc.) and

stored outside of the country. A November 2010 report from the Washington-based Global Financial

Integrity estimates that India lost at least US$462 billion in illicit financial flows, another word for black money,

from 1948 through 2008. The report also estimated the size of India's underground economy at approximately

US$640 billion at the end of 2008 or roughly 50% of the nation's GDP.[25]

[edit]Black Money in Switzerland

According to a 2010 The Hindu article, unofficial estimates indicate that Indians had over US$1456 billion in

black money stored inSwiss banks (approximately USD 1.4 trillion).[26] While some news reports claimed that

data provided by the Swiss Banking Association Report (2006) showed India has more black money than the

rest of the world combined,[27][28] a more recent report quoted the SBA's Head of International Communications

as saying that no such official statistics exist.[29] Another report said that Indian-owned Swiss bank account

assets are worth 13 times the country’s national debt.The current investigation is undertaken by the Income

Tax Department.[30]

[edit]Judiciary

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".[31]

[edit]Armed forces

The Indian Armed Forces have witnessed corruption involving senior armed forces officers from the Indian

Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. A number of scandals in the 2000-2010 period damaged the military's

reputation; such scandals included skimming of armed forces money, re-selling of government property, and

faking combat missions.[32]

[edit]Right to Information Act

Main article: 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.[2][33] The 2006 report by Transparency

International puts India at the 70th place and states that significant improvements were made by India in

reducing corruption.[34][35]

[edit]Whistleblowers

See also: Whistleblower protection in India

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 cases 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.

[edit]Anti-Corruption Laws in India

Public servants in India can be penalized for corruption under the

Indian Penal Code, 1860

The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 to prohibit benami transactions.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002

India is also a signatory (not ratified) to the UN Convention against Corruption since 2005. The Convention

covers a wide range of acts of corruption and also proposes certain preventive policies.[36]

[edit]Anti-corruption police and courts

The Directorate of Income Tax Intelligence and Criminal Investigation, Central Vigilance

Commission and Central Bureau of Investigationall deal with anti-corruption initiatives. Certain states such as

Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Pradesh Anti-corruption Bureau) and Karnataka (Lokayukta) also have their own anti-

corruption agencies and courts.[37][38]

[edit]Anti-corruption organizations

A variety of organizations have been created in India to actively fight against corrupt government and business

practices. Notable organizations include:

Bharat Swabhiman Trust  established by well known Yog Guru Swami Ramdev running a large campaign

against black money and corruption since last 10 years.

5th Pillar is most known for the creation of the zero rupee note, a valueless note designed to be given to

corrupt officials when they request bribes.

India Against Corruption is a movement created by a citizens from a variety of professions and statuses to

work against corruption in India. It is currently headed by Anna Hazare.[39]

Jaago Re! One Billion Votes  is an organization originally founded by Tata Tea and Janaagraha to increase

youth voter registration.[40] They have since expanded their work to include other social issues, including

corruption.[41]

Association for Social Transparency, Rights and Action (ASTRA)  is an NGO focused on grass-roots work

to fight corruption in Karnataka.

One organization, the Lok Satta Movement, has transformed itself from a civil organization to a full-fledged

political party, the Lok Satta Party. The party has fielded candidates in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and

Bangalore. In 2009, it obtained its first elected post, whenJayaprakash Narayan won the election for

the Kukatpally Assembly Constituency in Andhra Pradesh.

[edit]Effects of corruption

According to a report by KPMG, "high-level corruption and scams are now threatening to derail the country's

credibility and [its] economic boom".[42]

[edit]Economic Concerns

Corruption may lead to further bureaucratic delay and inefficiency as corrupted bureaucrats may introduce red

tape to extract more bribes[43]. Such inadequacies in institutional efficiency could affect growth indirectly by

lowering the private marginal product of capital and investment rate[44]. Levine and Renelt showed that

investment rate is a robust determinant of economic growth[45]. According to theneoclassical growth model,

institutional variables contribute to determining steady-state per capital income levels and speed of

convergence to its steady state, hence affecting its growth rate[46].

Bureaucratic inefficiency could also affect growth directly, such as through misallocation of investments in the

economy[47]. When a country’s economy is below its steady-state income level, higher corruption could result in

lower growth, for a given level of income[48].

As an anecdote, an April 10, 2012, demolition of a wheelchair-access building at the Kriyayoga Institute in

Allahabad, shows how discouraging corruption can be to foreign travel and investment. Allahabad

Development Authority officials demolished the building against a court restraining order, with 150 police

officers storming the facility and injuring local and foreign guests. Statement of Swami Shantanand, an

American medical doctor injured and dragged by Allahabad police during the unlawful demolition (n.b. links to

disturbing video of the incident). The officials involved were allegedly seeking $45,000 USD in bribes.[49]