A Reflection on Governance, Responsibility and the Citizen’s Role
Dr Sundar
Rajaram Krishnamurthy
Corruption is universal but reticence is that of Indian people only
Dr Sundar09:05 (1 hour ago)to ggroup
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CORRUPTION LEVELS:
Japan In 2025, corruption in Japan remains a significant concern despite high transparency rankings, with 2024–2025 reporting numerous bribery cases involving public officials, municipal bidding, and corporate scandals. Major issues include bribery in public procurement, illegal entertainment of officials, and the fallout from previous scandals like the Tokyo Olympics.
Bribery in Public Procurement: Cases have emerged involving municipal officials and assembly members receiving bribes (cash or entertainment) in exchange for favorable treatment in city contract bidding, such as construction and maintenance projects.
Corporate Malfeasance: Japanese firms face scrutiny over international bribery, such as a 2025 case where a Brazilian subsidiary of a Japanese listed company was fined over 560 million reais for bribing a foreign state-owned company officer.
Persistent Political Scandal Fallout: Following scandals that caused Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to step down in late 2024, political funding and "slush fund" scandals continue to influence public perception of corruption into 2025.
Perception and Indices: While Japan scored 71 on the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (ranking 20th), remaining among the cleaner nations, public awareness and distrust regarding elite corruption, such as amakudari (descent from heaven), remain high.
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China In-Depth
China's anti-corruption campaign remains in focus in 2025 Xinhua | January 4, 2026
Throughout 2025, China's anti-corruption campaign has continued with undiminished intensity, targeting officials at all levels and advancing efforts to repatriate fugitives and recover misappropriated funds.
Official data showed that in the first three quarters of this year, disciplinary authorities nationwide filed 789,000 cases and imposed penalties on 677,000 individuals.
"The current situation in the fight against corruption remains grave and complex, and the task of eliminating the conditions and breeding ground for corruption is still arduous," said Song Wei, an expert from a research institute on clean government in Beijing.
Since the beginning of the year, China's Sky Net campaign, an operation aimed at apprehending fugitives, recovering misappropriated assets and combating cross-border corruption, has steamed ahead with unabated intensity.
In July, Zhou Jinghua, one of China's "100 most-wanted" corruption suspects sought through an Interpol Red Notice at China's request, was extradited from Thailand, becoming the 63rd fugitive apprehended under the campaign.
In 2025, the National Commission of Supervision initiated a special operation, the first of its kind, to recover overseas proceeds from duty-related crimes, promising to pursue all illicit assets and deny corrupt officials and their relatives any opportunity to enjoy their ill-gotten gains abroad.
"In recent years, efforts to track down fugitives and recover stolen assets have gradually moved from relying primarily on persuasion to a broader range of measures, including capture, repatriation, and extradition," said Zhang Lei, a professor at the Law School of Beijing Normal University.
In 2025, the discipline authorities have also stepped up efforts to improve work practices and enforce discipline, tackling pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, while implementing the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct.
Official data showed that in the first 11 months of 2025, a total of 251,516 cases involving violations of eight-point rules on improving conduct were investigated nationwide, with 225,347 officials receiving disciplinary or administrative punishment.
By category, the largest share, more than 40 percent, involved officials failing to fulfill their duties, including negligence, inaction, mismanagement, and false reporting, in areas affecting economic development, social progress, and environmental protection.
"Efforts to improve conduct have produced visible changes and tangible results," said Ni Mingsheng, a professor at the Party School of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
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USA In early 2025, the U.S. saw a 4.5% monthly increase in federal corruption prosecutions, with 11.1 convictions per ten million people in January. However, significant policy shifts emerged, including a 180-day pause on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement initiated in February 2025 to re-evaluate international anti-corruption efforts.
Key developments regarding corruption in the USA in 2025 include:
Prosecution Trends: While federal, state, and local anti-corruption efforts continue—noted by high-profile convictions like Nadine Menendez in April 2025—January 2025 data showed a 39.4% increase in prosecutions compared to the same period in 2024, yet they remain down 26.2% from 2020 levels.
FCPA Enforcement Changes: President Trump issued an executive order in February 2025 pausing FCPA investigations for 180 days to "restore proper bounds" on enforcement. This led to a pause in new DOJ/SEC actions and the closure of some corporate investigations.
Public Perception: A 2025 Chicago Council Survey indicated that Americans increasingly view government corruption and the weakening of democracy as top critical threats to the nation.
Global Standing: The United States scored 65 out of 100 on the 2024 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (released in early 2025), ranking 28th out of 180 countries, which suggests a moderate perception of corruption.
Regional Activity: As of January 2025, the Southern District of New York was the most active federal judicial district for corruption convictions, followed by the Southern District of Indiana.
The overall trend in 2025 suggests a pivot away from aggressive international anti-corruption enforcement toward prioritizing American economic competitiveness and a restructuring of federal oversight.
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Germany In 2025, Germany maintains a strong, yet challenged, anti-corruption landscape, with a Freedom from Corruption index score of 86, remaining consistent with 2024. Despite being a low-corruption nation, emerging issues include organized crime-related bribery in law enforcement and an estimated annual corruption damage exceeding €250 billion.
Organized Crime & Law Enforcement: Corruption cases involving law enforcement, particularly linked to drug trafficking and information leakage (e.g., in Berlin and Hanover), have raised concerns about diminishing resilience against organized crime.
Persistent Threats: Corruption persists in public procurement and administration, despite strong legal frameworks, including prohibitions on bribery and gifts for officials.
Legal & Compliance Environment: While Germany is viewed as relatively clean (ranking 15th in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index), the country continues to strengthen its legal framework. The Whistleblower Protection Act is in place, and there is a focus on improving transparency in lobbying.
Global Context: Germany remains a hub for international compliance dialogues, with events like the 2025 Berlin Business Integrity and Anti-Corruption Conference highlighting ongoing efforts to address transnational bribery.
While generally having a low, stable perception of public sector corruption, Germany faces pressure to tighten, rather than block, stricter anti-corruption regulations.
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Singapore In 2025, Singapore maintains its position as one of the world's least corrupt nations, consistently ranking among the top three globally,, with a 2025 score of 86. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) ensures a very low public sector corruption rate, while July 2025 marked the first Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) to tackle corporate corruption.
Key Corruption Developments in Singapore 2025:
Global Ranking: Singapore consistently ranks as the top or second-top country in Asia and top 3 globally in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
Corporate Enforcement: In July 2025, Seatrium Limited entered a US$110 million DPA with the Public Prosecutor regarding "Operation Carwash" in Brazil, signaling a stricter stance on foreign bribery.
Public Sector Integrity: Corruption is considered extremely rare in public service, with the CPIB actively enforcing compliance.
Anti-Corruption Measures: The government continues to utilize tools like PACT (Practical Anti-Corruption Guide for Businesses) to strengthen corporate compliance.
Note: The score of 86 (2025) indicates a minor shift from 88 (2024), but it remains among the highest globally, reflecting strong systemic controls.
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India In 2025, India faced persistent corruption challenges, reflected in its 96th rank on the Transparency International CPI (down from 93), scoring 38/100 due to bureaucratic hurdles, political influence, and weak enforcement despite digital initiatives. Reports highlighted systemic issues, with some states like Bihar seeing record FIRs, while agencies intensified crackdowns, though challenges in accountability and asset recovery remained significant.
CPI Ranking: India scored 38/100 (below the global average of 43), indicating ongoing concerns.
Systemic Corruption: Reports described corruption as a deeply entrenched model, affecting political and bureaucratic structures.
State-Level Issues: Bihar recorded a historic high of 122 corruption FIRs, while Kerala's VACB saw its most intensive crackdown ever.
Increased Enforcement: Anti-corruption agencies, like Bihar's VIB and Kerala's VACB, intensified investigations and trap cases.
Challenges: Issues persisted with red tape, discretion, election funding pressures, and limited public awareness, though digital tools and whistleblower acts aimed to help.
International Cooperation: India engaged in networks like UNODC's GlobE Network to tackle cross-border corruption.
Underlying Causes & Factors:
Bureaucratic Delays & Discretion: Overregulation and lack of transparency create opportunities for rent-seeking.
Political Patronage: Networks linking business and politics fuel corruption.
Economic Inequality: Low official salaries push some to seek bribes for a better lifestyle.
Weak Institutions: Despite bodies like Lokpal, their effectiveness remains limited.
In essence, 2025 showed a dual picture: growing evidence of corruption through increased cases and heightened anti-corruption efforts, but also persistent systemic hurdles in governance and accountability.
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Hence corruption is every where and no country including Singapore is different from except the ratio od poison as a drop or many drops. NEVER SAY INDIA IS CORRUPT BECAUSE IT IS PEOPLE WHO GAVE TOYS ,CELL PHONES TO PLAY AND CHOCO;ATED TO KIDS AS RANSOM TO KEEP QUITE (MOTHER PARENT INVENTIONS) AND SO FED SUMPTUUSLY TO GOVT SERVANTS ,MINISTERS AND POLITUIICIANS [VIDE YESTERDAY DMK NEWS WHERE AT THE END OF CLOSURE OF THE ERS GOES TO FIND OUT THE DREAM OF PEOPLE AND ALL LADIES UNASHAMEDLY ASKING FOR FRINFE AND STALIN TELLING THEM 2026 THEY WILL GET, SO THOSE DFAWNING PEOPLE WILL VOTE AND MAKE DMK WIN] PEOPLE ARE CORRUPT AND ABSOLUTELY CORRUPT TO GET ANY THING AT ANY LENGTH FROM EVERY ONE WITHOUT SHAME TO BEG WITHOUY WORKING HARD.
II RETICENCE AND REVOLUTION
People across the world are universally reticent about questioning their governments. The reality is highly nuanced and varies significantly by region and political context. Global data from 2024 and 2025 shows a complex picture of both high government trust in some developing nations and widespread grievance and anti-government protests in others, especially developed economies.
Widespread Grievance and Questioning of Authority
Public discontent is a major global trend. According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, 61% of people globally have a moderate to high sense of grievance, believing that governments and businesses primarily serve narrow interests and that the rich benefit unfairly from the system.
This grievance often translates into active questioning and dissent:
Protests and Civil Unrest Anti-government protests were a global phenomenon in 2024 and 2025, driven by issues like corruption, economic hardship (inflation and inequality), and anti-democratic policies. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Global Protest Tracker recorded over 126 significant anti-government protests in more than 67 countries in the twelve months leading up to December 2025.
Approval of Activism The sense of grievance is so high that 4 in 10 respondents globally would approve of some form of "hostile activism" to drive change, a sentiment most prevalent among younger age groups (18-34).
Electoral Losses for Incumbents Voters around the world expressed dissatisfaction through the ballot box in 2024, often punishing incumbent parties and leading to political disruption as citizens demanded change.
Regional Differences in Trust
Trust levels differ dramatically between countries, which directly influences how and whether citizens question authority.
High-Trust Nations Developing nations, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, tend to have higher levels of trust in their governments. Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE, India, and Indonesia are among the most trusting countries, with scores often above 70%. This trust often stems from consistent economic growth and perceived stability.
Low-Trust Nations In contrast, many major Western economies are among the least trusting nations. Japan, Germany, the UK, the US, and France all report significantly lower levels of trust in their national governments (generally below 50%).
Factors Influencing Reticence or Dissent
The willingness to question the government depends on several factors:
Political Freedoms In democracies, freedom of speech and the right to protest are guaranteed, actively encouraging public questioning and dissent. In more repressive or totalitarian regimes, citizens may be more reticent due to fear of repercussions, though opposition still exists.
Perceived Competence and Ethics Governments that are perceived as transparent, ethical, and effective at addressing citizen welfare and combating corruption generally command more trust. A lack of accountability and high-profile corruption scandals are major drivers of public distrust and anger.
Information Flow The proliferation of social media allows citizens to organize and share information at a scale previously impossible, enhancing their ability to voice concerns and mobilize for collective action.
In short, a significant portion of the global population is actively questioning and protesting their governments, indicating a widespread lack of reticence in many parts of the world.
Reports published by the OECD, Pew Research, and the Reuters Institute in 2023:
OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)
OECD reports from 2023 primarily focused on the global economic outlook, public governance, and gender equality.
Economic Outlook: Global GDP growth for 2023 was projected at 3.0%, with a slowdown to 2.7% expected in 2024, reflecting a more resilient first half of 2023 than initially anticipated. Despite a decline in headline inflation, core inflation remained persistent, driven by the services sector and tight labor markets.
Government at a Glance 2023: The report noted that public participation can be made more active and effective, and that women remain under-represented in politics and public institutions. It also highlighted the need for better implementation of public integrity standards in practice.
Climate Change: An OECD survey found that over three-quarters of respondents agreed that climate change is an important problem, and people in developing economies were generally more concerned about its impacts.
Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center's 2023 findings spanned various social and political topics, both within the U.S. and globally.
U.S. Politics and National Security: A record high 28% of Americans expressed an unfavorable opinion of both major political parties, and a majority (59%) viewed TikTok as a national security threat.
Global Views: In a survey of 23 countries, Indians were the most likely to believe their country's power was on the rise and stood out for their favorable views of Russia. Majorities in most of the 27 countries surveyed supported legal abortion.
Generations and Life Milestones: The research showed that young adults in the U.S. are reaching key milestones such as marriage, financial independence, and full-time employment later than previous generations.
Reuters Institute (for the Study of Journalism)
The Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2023 highlighted major shifts in news consumption habits and ongoing challenges for the media industry.
Declining Trust and Engagement: Trust in the news continued to fall across markets, averaging 40% globally, with 36% of respondents often or sometimes avoiding the news altogether due to its repetitive or depressing nature.
Rise of Video and social media: Engagement with traditional media sources such as TV and print continued to decline, while platforms like TikTok emerged as the fastest-growing source of news, especially among younger audiences (ages 18-24).
Influence of Personalities: Audiences, particularly on video-led social media, reported paying more attention to celebrities, influencers, and social media personalities for news than to journalists.
Skepticism of Algorithms: Many people were skeptical of algorithms used to select the news they see, worrying about missing important information or challenging viewpoints. Despite this, users still slightly preferred algorithmically selected news to news chosen by editors.
Indians are corrupt in mind and deeds and reticent in challenging and running away from if beaten NOT TO SUPPOERT THE QUESTIONER ALSO. Self-centered and Greedy in majority .
K Rajaram IRS 10126
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Suryanarayana Ambadipudi
Before criticising let us do introspection.
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Rajaram Krishnamurthy
Welcome sir's. K. RajaramOn Sat, 10 Jan, 2026, 12:49 APS Mani, <ma...@manijpn.in> wrote:Wonderful exchanges of pertinent topics of major countries of the world and their systems, well dealt with. Worth indulging in these topics. Thanks, Mani
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