At 51st rank, India slips 10 spots on the global democracy index

Survey cites ‘erosion of civil liberties’ in the country as the primary cause of ‘regression’

NEW DELHI: India dropped 10 places in the Democracy Index’s global ranking to 51st place, with the survey describing the erosion of civil liberties in the country as the primary cause of the democratic regression. Overall, though, India remains, in the terms of the survey, a “flawed democracy”, a categorisation that also encompasses the US.

The Democracy Index – prepared by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of The Economist Group – provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories.

It is based on electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.

India’s overall score, on a scale of 0-10, fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in 2019, with the survey listing India among countries where there were “regressions”.

In the Asia and Australia region, India ranked eighth, behind countries such as Timorleste, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Norway topped the index, with a score of 9.87, while North Korea was at the bottom of the global rankings, with a score of 1.08.

China’s score fell to 2.26, and it is now ranked 153rd, close to the bottom of the rankings.

The Democracy Index described 2019 as a “tumultuous year” for Asian democracies. The biggest change occurred in Thailand, whose score improved by 1.69 points compared with 2018, to 6.32, resulting in a rise of 38 places, while introduction of a “fake news” law in Singapore led to a deterioration in the country’s score for civil liberties.

The index is largely an academic exercise, but it adds to growing international criticism of India , especially over Kashmir and CAA.

Indian officials did not immediately react to the survey.

The Democracy Index referred to the changes in Jammu and Kashmir and the controversial implementation of the National Register of Citizens

(NRC) in Assam while describing what it termed as said was a “democratic regression” in India, the world’s largest democracy.

“The Indian government stripped the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state of its special status by repealing two key constitutional provisions granting it powers of autonomy,” it said, referring to Article 370 of the Constitution and Article 35A, which prevented residents from other states from purchasing land or property in Kashmir.

“Following the removal of these provisions of the constitution and the passage of a new Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, J&K no longer enjoys statehood and is now divided into two union territories: one that retains the name Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh,” it said.