NEW DELHI - India is one of the few countries in the world which is yet to ratify the United Nations' convention on corruption, six years after signing it, local daily The Times of India reported on Monday.

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Though India signed it in 2005, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government has steadfastly refused to ratify the anti-graft convention which has 140 countries on its list, the newspaper said.

The official reason is that India has not yet brought its domestic laws in line with the international convention, the report said.

The Indian government has been trying to bring back black money worth hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly stashed away in foreign banks.

And, under the convention, asset recovery is a fundamental principle, Article 51 provides for the return of assets to countries of origin as a fundamental principle of this convention.

The convention requires signatories to put in place certain preventive measures - like enhanced transparency in funding election campaigns and political parties - which certainly in India is at the root of a lot of government corruption, the report said.