5 April 2024
India has been downgraded to the status of an “electoral autocracy,” according to the ‘Democracy Report 2024’ released by the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The report highlights India’s further decline under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which has been criticized for anti-pluralist actions detrimental to democratic traditions.
Released just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP seeks a third consecutive term, the report underscores a troubling trend of autocratisation globally. It categorizes countries based on their Liberal Democratic Index (LDI) scores, placing India among the worst autocratisers. In 2023, 42 countries, accounting for 35% of the world’s population, were undergoing autocratisation, with India representing a significant portion of this trend.
The report notes a decline in almost all components of democracy, particularly highlighting the erosion of freedom of expression, clean elections, and civil society’s freedom of association. India’s regression in democratic standards has brought the country’s level of liberal democracy to a level not seen since 1975.
Under the BJP government, there has been a documented deterioration in freedom of expression, media independence, and attacks on dissenters and civil society. The report criticizes the government’s use of laws to silence critics and suppress freedom of religion, undermining India’s commitment to secularism.
V-Dem’s collaborative project involves thousands of scholars from around the world and employs a comprehensive methodology to measure democracy. The report underscores the urgency for civil society to protect democratic values and uphold the Constitution’s principles amid threats to India’s democratic fabric.
The report’s findings underscore the critical state of democracy globally and the need for concerted efforts to safeguard democratic institutions and principles, particularly in countries like India facing substantial democratic decline under current leadership.
