Corruption not as big problem as projected: Chidambaram

Acknowledging that corruption is a problem in India, finance minister P Chidambaram today said that it is not as big as it is being made out to be.

Acknowledging that corruption is a problem in India, finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday said that it is not as big as it is being made out to be.

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"It is a problem but no more than in most other countries," Chidambaram told the popular Charlie Rose Show in an interview when asked if corruption a big problem in India.

"Wherever I go, I open the newspaper and I find there are charges of corruption against the government of the day. I admit that, it is a problem. But it's not as big a problem as it is made out to be. To say that everyone is corrupt is I think an outrageous charge," he said.

"We are tightening our laws. We're having an ombudsman. We have this extraordinary instrument called public interest litigation which any citizen can file in the higher courts including the Supreme Court, exposing corruption.

"And above all, we have one of the most independent, fiercely independent media in the world which every day is exposing quote, unquote, 'corruption' of one kind or another," he added.