April 24, 2019

Join TII and help ending corruption in India

tags:	#India, #elections, #anti-corruption
located:	India
by:	Yair Oded

As the estimated 900 million eligible Indian voters cast their ballots in the four-week-long election process, reports mount regarding corruption that may heavily influence the results.

Specifically, efforts by prominent politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to allow big money to influence the campaign process seriously threaten the country’s already shaky democratic institutions.

Under Modi, an increasing number of restrictions were removed to allow dynasties and corporations to funnel money into political campaigns in India, thus increasing the likelihood of corruption and the erosion of public trust in the government.

The undermining of the current elections by money is merely a symptom of the prevalent corruption that has crippled the world’s supposed largest democracy.

Founded in 2004, Transparency International India (TII) is an India based non-governmental organization working to eliminate corruption from the country’s institutions on all levels.

TII conducts workshops, trainings, educational campaigns, and lobbying efforts to promote transparency and accountability by Indian politicians and government institutions.

One of the groups main efforts is to bring awareness of the issue to the masses and encourage citizens from all parts of the country (including both urban and rural areas) to demand access to services, knowledge, and self-governance tools. They place increased focus on the advancement of women and vulnerable communities, who are often hit hardest by the corruption of local institutions.

To read more about their mission, and learn about TII’s various volunteer and interning opportunities, visit their website.

Large-scale rejection of corruption must begin in the education of local communities and their active participation in transparent governance. TII seeks to make this goal a reality.

Image credit: Narendra Modi via Flickr.