Corruption Widespread in India, Says U.S. Report

WASHINGTON: There is widespread corruption in India in all levels of the government including judiciary, said a U.S .Congress-mandated report.

"Corruption was widespread," said the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 released by the U.S. secretary of state John Kerry.

According to the report, though the law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, the Indian government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.

"Corruption was present at all levels of government. The CBI registered 583 cases of corruption between the months of January and November."

"The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) received 7,224 cases in 2012. Of those, 5,528 were received in 2012 and an additional 1,696 remained from 2011. The commission recommended action on 5,720 cases," the report said.

"The CVC operated a toll-free hotline to lodge complaints and a web portal to share information. NGOs noted that bribes typically were paid to expedite services, such as police protection, school admission, water supply, or government assistance," it said.

Civil society organizations drew public attention to corruption throughout the year, including through public demonstrations and websites that featured individual stories of corruption, it added.

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