George Soros and the Organization Behind India’s Corruptions Index Placement at 93

A few days ago, the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2023 was published. As has been the case with several such indexes in the past, India was ranked as the 93rd least corrupt country in the world, out of a total of 180 countries. In 2022, the same report had placed India at 85th. While the main opposition party in India and its supporters celebrated the ‘fall’ of the nation, left-leaning media outlets such as ‘The Wire’ reported this news with a lot of fanfare.

It’s no secret that over the last 9–10 years, the central government has adopted several measures to eliminate corruption. Therefore, a low ranking of 93 must have come as a surprise to many of us.

Well, do not be surprised. There is one name that many Indians have grown familiar with these days. This is the name that time and again pops up whenever there’s an attempt to portray the current Indian administration in a poor light. Yes, the name is George Soros.

About the report

For starters, it doesn’t take long to figure out that there is something terribly wrong with the rankings. Some of the countries placed above India on the list are African nations: Namibia (59), Benin (70), Ghana (70), Senegal (70), South Africa (83), Burkina Faso (83), and Tanzania (87). It is beyond any logic that these countries are shown as less corrupt than India.

About CPI Index

The CPI index is published by an organization called Transparency International (TI). According to their website, TI operates in over 100 countries with a mission to stop corruption and increase transparency, accountability, and integrity across all sectors of society. Well, that’s what their own website claims.

What exactly is Transparency International?

According to a report published by Capital Research Centre (CRC), an American investigative think tank, Transparency International is a member of the left-leaning “anti-oppression” coalition Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD). DFAD is a coalition of left-leaning activist groups that advocates for a series of governmental and electoral administration policy changes. The committee that leads DFAD includes leaders from several left-wing organizations.

Who funds Transparency International (TI)?

According to CRC, Transparency International’s donors include government agencies, foundations and trusts, corporations, and individuals. The U.S. Department of State contributed to TI in 2021. Foundations and trusts that donated to TI in 2021 included the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, King Baudouin Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Open Society Foundations.

Enter George Soros

Do any of the names mentioned above ring a bell? Yes, I am referring to the last name: Open Society Foundations (OSF). OSF was founded by George Soros. According to the report by CRC, OSF has granted over $4 million to the Transparency International Secretariat and another $5,480,360 to TI Chapters globally since 2016.

It’s a well-known fact that George Soros has been highly critical of Narendra Modi, for reasons known only to him. In fact, he even went to the extent of indirectly advocating a change of government at the national level last year when he said: ‘I may be naive, but I expect a democratic revival in India.

Is India the only country targeted by Soros?

The answer is no! In 2020, a scathing article was published by the Hungarian government in response to a low ranking of 70 given to Hungary in 2019 by the same index. The same report placed countries like Senegal (66) and Namibia (56) above them. The following is an excerpt from that article:

‘TI — that stands for transparency — is losing sleep over the “undue influence” that “big money” exerts on our political systems. The Soros web of organizations spends millions around the world — less than transparent and lacking any democratic mandate — determined to do exactly that: exert influence on politics.

Conclusion

Corruption is a social evil that needs to be eradicated. It still exists at different levels across various sectors of India. The current government has made it clear from the beginning that it has zero tolerance for corruption and has adopted several measures to fight against it. Measures such as the direct disbursement of welfare benefits to citizens, the implementation of E-tendering in public procurements, the introduction of e-Governance, and the adoption of government procurement through the Government e-Marketplace, to name a few, are some of the steps adopted to combat corruption.

While it is true that this menace persists, let us commend the efforts of the national leadership in combating it. Like millions of others in this country, I am positive that we are on the right track in addressing this issue. Lastly, let’s ensure that we do not fall into the trap laid by anti-India forces like George Soros. Reports such as the CPI index 2023 should be placed where they rightly belong — in the trash bin!