ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the subject of corruption in Indian elections is far too large. It examines the neo-liberal corruption that involves global currency flows, tax havens, and corporate efforts to buy pieces of the state. The return of corruption to the center of debates about global governance is tied to the neo-liberal phase of foreign direct investment, the focus on markets and entrepreneurship even among charitable and developmental agencies, and the general discourse of transparency as the important marker of good governance. Black Money is a peculiarly Indian name for something that appears to have an obviously universal existence, and that is money produced by tax evasion. Scams are intricately intertwined with the creation of black money as also illegal stashing of Indian money abroad. The peculiarly Indian obsession with corruption in politics and in economy is thus part of a structural need for a participatory system of corruption, in which the aspiring Indian middleclass can be more fully rewarded.
