India Falls To 53rd Position In Democracy Index – Free PDF Download

What has happened?

• India slipped two places to 53rd position in the 2020 Democracy Index’s global ranking.
• India is the world’s largest democracy but its 38 billion citizens do not seem to be enjoying many freedoms
• According to the latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the South Asian giant fell another two spots to 53rd position in the Democracy Index 2020.
• The primary reason for the fall was the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that came into being in January 2020.

India vs South Asia

• While being categorized as a ‘flawed democracy’, at first glance,
• India fares better than its neighboring
• However, while India has been falling in the ranks, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan have improved marginally in 2020.
• Even those countries which saw a fall in scores, none were as massive as India’s drop.

Democratic backsliding

• The Economist Intelligence Unit calls it ‘democratic backsliding’ under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The instances of high handedness by the state have only increased.
• For instance, stand-up comedian Munawar Farooqui was arrested for a joke that he didn’t even crack.
• The judiciary’s sensitivity was seen yet again when lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan was brought under the scanner for tweets criticizing the government.
• Access to the internet was blocked in Kashmir for 213 days — two-thirds of a full year — after Article 370 of the Constitution was scrapped.
• Even today, internet shutdowns are being used to stifle the farmers’ protest against India’s new farm laws along the borders of New Delhi.
• Creators of shows like Tandav, Sacred Games, and others have been dragged to court after being accused of hurting religious sentiments.

Global

• Norway topped The Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Democracy Index report,
• With Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada making up the top five.
• Japan and South Korea both returned to the “full democracy” fold for the first time since 2014.
• Taiwan attained “full democracy” status for the first time following a spectacular jump up the rankings.

Q) Which among the following report is published by United Nations?

1. World Development Report
2. Ease of Living Index
3. Global Competitiveness Report
4. Gender Parity Index

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!