Anatomy of corruption in South Asia

Transparency International (2012) has ranked South Asia as one of the world's most corrupt regions. This is not surprising in view of the many high-profile scandals that have emerged from there in recent years. In this chapter, we discuss the endemic nature of corruption in South Asia, and argue that it is hampering its economic development. We elaborate the impact of national culture on corruption and present a discussion of other contextual factors, such as political culture, civil services, and oligarchic family control, that have collectively created an enabling environment for corruption in the region. We identify the free press and resiliency of its people (despite all challenges) as healthy signs, and suggest that South Asia must learn from countries that have developed (or are in the process of developing) effective systems to control corruption and embed transparency within its institutions.