About International Anti-Corruption Day
International Anti-Corruption Day is observed on 9 December every year, so in 2026 it falls on Wednesday, 9 December 2026. The UN General Assembly fixed the date in 2003, when countries gathered at Merida in Mexico to sign the UN Convention against Corruption. India signed it in 2005 and ratified it in 2011. UNODC and UNDP run the global campaign.
The date comes from a signing ceremony. The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Corruption on 31 October 2003, and countries gathered in Merida, Mexico, in December that year to sign it. The Assembly designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day in the same resolution. The convention came into force on 14 December 2005 and more than 190 countries are now parties to it.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which acts as the convention's secretariat, runs the campaign each year with the UN Development Programme. Countries that have signed agree to criminalise bribery, to set up bodies that can investigate corruption independently, and to help each other trace and return stolen money.
What does India do about corruption?
Four things are worth knowing, and none of them are complicated.
The law. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 is the main statute. It was amended in 2018 to make giving a bribe an offence in itself, not only taking one, with protection for a person who was forced to pay and reports it within seven days. The same amendment raised the minimum sentence from six months to three years, and added a requirement that investigators get approval from a competent authority before opening an inquiry against a public servant, except where the person is caught taking money.
The watchdog. The Central Vigilance Commission was set up on 11 February 1964 on the recommendation of a committee headed by K. Santhanam. It keeps watch over corruption in central government departments, advises them on vigilance cases and oversees how the CBI handles corruption investigations. It was given statutory backing in 2003. Its powers are largely advisory, which is both its limit and the reason it survives politically.
The ombudsman. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 created a national body to inquire into corruption complaints against public servants, including ministers and, with safeguards, the Prime Minister. It took six years to get going: Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was sworn in as the first Lokpal in March 2019. States have their own Lokayuktas, of varying strength.
The treaty. India signed the UN Convention against Corruption on 9 December 2005 and ratified it on 9 May 2011, according to the UN treaty register. Ratification is part of why the Lokpal legislation was drafted, since the convention asks every country to have a body dedicated to fighting corruption.
| Body or law | What it does, in plain words |
|---|---|
| Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 | The criminal law on bribery; since 2018, giving a bribe is also an offence |
| Central Vigilance Commission | Watches over corruption in central government offices and advises them |
| Lokpal | National ombudsman that can inquire into corruption complaints against public servants |
| State Lokayuktas | The same idea at state level, with powers that vary by state |
| Right to Information Act, 2005 | Lets any citizen ask a public office for records, for a ₹10 fee |
What is Vigilance Awareness Week and how is it different?
India's biggest anti-corruption observance is not on 9 December. The Central Vigilance Commission runs Vigilance Awareness Week every year in the week containing 31 October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which is also National Unity Day. It opens with employees across ministries, public sector companies and banks taking an integrity pledge, and the week is filled with talks, essay contests and grievance camps.
So if your office marked something a month or so earlier, that was Vigilance Awareness Week. International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December is the global observance, and in India it is quieter, marked mainly by UNODC's India office, universities and civil society groups.
What do you write on International Anti-Corruption Day?
Write to a person who did something costly and quiet. A message about corruption in general is a lecture; a message about one honest act is a thank-you someone will keep.
On International Anti-Corruption Day, thank you for the files you cleared without anyone having to ask twice. It is noticed, even when no one says so.
Marking International Anti-Corruption Day with a note to you. Yours is a job that makes you unpopular in every room. Thank you for doing it anyway.
I know what that decision cost you last year. Remembering it today on International Anti-Corruption Day.
On International Anti-Corruption Day, thank you for the applications, the follow-ups and the appeals nobody funds. That is where most of the real information comes from.
Today is International Anti-Corruption Day. A reminder worth repeating: since 2018 in India, giving a bribe is an offence too, not only taking one.
Marking International Anti-Corruption Day. The most useful thing you can learn today is how to file an RTI application. It costs ₹10.
Do
- Keep the message about behaviour and systems, not about a named person.
- Share something practical: how to file an RTI, where your office's vigilance officer sits, what the helpline is.
- Thank people whose honesty cost them something.
Avoid
- Don't accuse anyone in a card, a poster or a group message. Complaints belong in the proper channel, in writing.
- Don't write "happy" anything. This is an awareness day, not a celebration.
- Don't confuse it with Vigilance Awareness Week, which is India's own observance around 31 October.
Nearby days on the calendar include Human Rights Day on 10 December and National Consumer Day on 24 December. See the calendar for the rest.
How to wish someone on International Anti-Corruption Day
This is not a day for congratulations, and "happy anti-corruption day" reads badly. The useful messages are thanks to people who do the unpopular thing: an auditor, a vigilance officer, a clerk who processed a file without asking for anything, a colleague who refused a bribe and lost work for it. Never name and accuse a person in a card. Keep it about the practice, not about an individual you suspect.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Anti-Corruption Day in 2026 and 2027?
International Anti-Corruption Day is on 9 Dec every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
Why is International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December?
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Corruption on 31 October 2003 and designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day. The date marks the conference at Merida in Mexico in December 2003, where countries gathered to sign the convention.
When did India ratify the UN Convention against Corruption?
India signed the UN Convention against Corruption on 9 December 2005 and ratified it on 9 May 2011, according to the UN treaty register. The convention asks every country to have a body dedicated to fighting corruption, which is part of the background to India's Lokpal legislation.
Is giving a bribe a crime in India?
Yes. The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 made giving a bribe to a public servant an offence in its own right. A person who was compelled to pay is protected if they report the matter to law enforcement within seven days.
What is the difference between the Lokpal and the Central Vigilance Commission?
The Central Vigilance Commission, set up in 1964, advises central government departments on vigilance matters and oversees CBI corruption cases. The Lokpal, created by the 2013 Act and functional from 2019, is an ombudsman that can inquire into corruption complaints against public servants, including ministers.
What is Vigilance Awareness Week?
Vigilance Awareness Week is India's own anti-corruption observance, run by the Central Vigilance Commission in the week containing 31 October, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary. It begins with government employees and public sector staff taking an integrity pledge.
How do I report corruption in India?
Complaints against central government officials can be made in writing to the Central Vigilance Commission or the department's own vigilance officer; states have Lokayuktas and anti-corruption bureaus. Put it in writing with specifics, keep a copy, and use the Right to Information Act to get supporting records.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .