As many as 70 journalists were killed in India over 24 years ending in 2016, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which is a non-profit organization. This count has not helped India in its ranking on Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index, because the safety of journalists was one of the criteria on which corruption was judged. India is ranked 81 in the index, two places down from its place in the previous one. There is an argument that India has not necessarily grown more corrupt, it is just that two other countries have improved in honesty. But such an argument is immaterial for the people of this country. All they need to know is that India scores 40 on a scale of 100, while the global average is 43 and any country below 30 is perceived to be most corrupt. That is hardly reason for pride. The fact that the country is now ruled by a party that makes a point of its own moral superiority and freedom from corruption should underscore the irony of India's ranking.

What should concern the people most is that the index that ranks India 81st has taken account of the security of journalists, activists and non-governmental organizations in its ranking system. India has been called one of the "worst offenders" in this sphere, because murder and intimidation of media people and activists indicate the suppression of voices speaking up against corruption. The perception index is thus layered, suggesting, at least in this case, that the perception may not be penetrating deeply enough. It is inferring this depth from the scale of killing and intimidation of possible whistle-blowers. Apart from the known scandals, therefore, there are unknown ones. The suggestions are that criminals are linked to power - else journalists would not be insecure - and the business of killing is routine in India. The 2017 index was not created after the Rafale acquisition or the Punjab National Bank scams. But the ranking is low enough to bother any political party that is obsessed with a 'clean' image. The government cannot pretend to be innocent of corruption in the public sector or in business. The contrast with Bhutan, the neighbour ranked 26 with a score of 67, may be even more embarrassing. Indian governments have a habit of ignoring assessments from overseas outfits, however prestigious. Nothing suggests that this one will be taken seriously.