India on the colour-coded global map of corruption index (Transparency International)

Unfair and opaque political financing, undue influence in decision-making and lobbying by corporate interest groups combined to hit India’s ranking by two spots on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), the Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog said in an annual report released on Thursday.

India’s last year ranking on the index stood at 78, compared to 80 this year. At 41, the score for both the years remains the same.

The index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people, according to Transparency International.

On a scale of zero to 100, zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

With a score of 87 each, New Zealand and Denmark were found to be the least corrupt countries.

Somalia, South Sudan and Syria, with scores of 9, 12 and 13, respectively, were found to be the most corrupt of the lot.

In India’s neighbourhood, Pakistan fared worse than it had last year, as its ranking slipped by three spots from 117 to 120. China’s score, on the other hand, was tied with India's at 41 points each.

Transparency International has also recommended a series of measures to combat rising corruption across the world.

Manage conflicts of interest

Control political financing

Strengthen electoral integrity

Regulate lobbying activities

Empower citizens

Tackle preferential treatment

Reinforce checks and balances

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