Nearly the same.

Various regions of Italy are in deep financial trouble and are asking the government in Rome to bail them out. As an example, the regional government in Sicily has 1800 public employees which is more than the British cabinet office. NY Times, 23 July. There are 26,000 auxiliary forest rangers while British Columbia with vast forests has less than 1500. Sicily has 100,000 public employees for a population of 5 million, which works out to 1 for every 50 people, and pays pension to many more. Government employees cannot be sacked and the only way to reduce numbers is for them to retire. Sicily has 7 billion Euros or $8.5 billion in liabilities and shows " signs of unstoppable decline " said Italy's audit court. The central government in India has 34.1 million employees for a population of 1.2 billion which is 1 employee per 35 people. The wage bill is Rs 591.43 billion per year. In 2011-12 the government revenue was Rs 7.7 trillion while spending was Rs 13.2 trillion, which leaves a fiscal deficit of Rs 5.2 trillion or 68% of revenue. Interest payment per year is Rs 2.8 trillion which is a shade below 30% of revenue. While the US has 15 Secretaries, equivalent to ministers in India, and 7 of cabinet rank making 22 in all we have 47 ministries with 121 departments. Government officials may not be investigated or charged with crime without obtaining permission from those in charge. Government school teachers earn in excess of Rs 30,000 per month while private school teachers get less than Rs 15,000 but enrollment in government schools has dropped by 2.1 million between 2009-10 and 2010-11. Private school enrollment increased by 1.1 million during the same period showing how parents do not trust government schools. In Delhi enrollment in government schools increased by 14,000 while that in private schools increased by 30,000 despite the fact that fees in Delhi are exorbitant. Italy's politicians are uniformly corrupt as are ours. Craxi had to hide in Tunisia till death, Andreotti could never be convicted and Berlusconi entered politics to save himself from prison. At least one third of our politicians have charges of heinous crimes against them and are in politics for protection. Italy has its mafia while we have our political parties. Judge Giovanni Falcone and his wife Francesca Morvillo was killed by a huge car bomb near the town of Capaci in Italy on 23 May 1992 and Judge Paolo Borsellino was killed by a car bomb in Palermo on 19 July 1992. They were investigating the Camorra. In India any exposure of crime by a politician or any criticism, even an innocent cartoon, can invite persecution, even death. The major difference is that Italy is run by Italians. Or is it a similarity?