Knowledge Nugget | Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025: Key highlights for UPSC and other competitive exams

Key Takeaways:

1. The index focuses on perceptions of domestic public-sector corruption, including low-level administrative corruption. It evaluated 182 countries based on perceived public sector corruption, using a scale  of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is corruption clean. The rank tells the country’s position relative to other countries in the index

2. Denmark, maintaining its eight-year streak, tops the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 with the highest score of 89, followed closely by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).

3. South Sudan and Somalia, both scoring 9, tied at rank 181. Venezuela ranks slightly higher at 180 with a score of 10, placing these three nations at the bottom of the index.

4. The index revealed a troubling downward trend, with the global average score falling to 42 out of 100—the lowest in over ten years. Additionally, it further pointed out that 122 countries, which are more than two-thirds of the total, scored under 50 in the 2025 CPI.

5. However, there are some signs of progress, with the report indicating that around 31 countries have substantially lowered their levels of corruption since 2012.

6. Notably, Estonia (rank: 12, score: 76), Bhutan (rank: 18, score: 71), South Korea (rank: 31, score: 63), and more have shown the long-term gains of sustained anti-corruption measures.

7. In 2025, India ranked 91st globally on the Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring 39 out of 100, which is a slight improvement from the previous year. In 2024, India’s overall score was 38.

Number of countries that improved or declined in each region since 2012 plus average CPI 2025 scores. (Source: Corruption Perceptions Report 2025)

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act

1. The idea of a Lokpal — the central anti-corruption ombudsman — first came up in 1963 during a discussion on Budget allocation of the Union Law Ministry. Bills seeking an ombudsman were introduced in Parliament eight times between 1968 and 2001 but were not passed, noted a 2020 report by anti-corruption organisation Transparency International India.

2. However, over the years, different states set up their own Lokayuktas — the state equivalent of the Lokpal. Maharashtra was first in this respect with its Lokayukta body established in 1971 under the Maharashtra Lokayukta and Upayukta Act.

3. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, subsequently came into force on January 16, 2014. The Act provides for establishing a Lokpal headed by a Chairperson, who is or has been a Chief Justice of India, or is or has been a judge of the Supreme Court, or an eminent person who fulfills eligibility criteria as specified. Of its other members, not exceeding eight, 50% are to be judicial members, provided that not less than 50% of the members belong to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, minorities, and women.

4. The Lokpal Act covers a wide range of public servants — from the Prime Minister, ministers, and MP, to groups A, B, C, and D officers of the central government. “Lokpal shall inquire or cause an inquiry to be conducted into any matter involved in, or arising from, or connected with, any allegation of corruption made in a complaint” in respect of the Prime Minister, the Act says.

5. The Act does not allow a Lokpal inquiry if the allegation against the Prime Minister relates to international relations, external and internal security, public order, atomic energy and space. Also, complaints against the Prime Minister are not to be probed unless the full Lokpal bench considers the initiation of an inquiry and at least two-thirds of the members approve it.

6. The Lokpal chairperson and the members are appointed for a term of five years or serve till they are 70 years old, whichever is earlier. The first Lokpal chairperson was former Supreme Court Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose.

Post Read Question

With reference to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), consider the following statements:

1. It evaluates countries on a scale of 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate lower corruption.

2. Denmark has topped the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 with the highest score of 89.

3. India ranked 91st globally on the Corruption Perceptions Index with a score of 39.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(Sources: transparency.org, Corruption Perceptions Index)

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