Amidst speculation that India is contemplating the creation of its own rating system due to dissatisfaction with biased Western evaluations, Al Jazeera has reported on potential plans for the country to introduce its own ratings system, likely in collaboration with think tanks advice NITI Aayog and ORF, either before or after the upcoming elections.
Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based news outlet financed by the Qatari government and often perceived to hold critical views towards India reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has enlisted the support of a prominent Indian think tank to devise its own assessment system for democracy, aiming to counter recent downgrades in international rankings that could potentially impact the country’s credit rating, as reported by Al Jazeera. It also disclosed that the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), closely collaborating with the Indian government on multiple fronts, is in the process of formulating the criteria for these democracy ratings. An unnamed official mentioned to Al Jazeera that a review session convened by NITI Aayog in January resulted in the decision for ORF to unveil the Democracy Rankings in the coming weeks.
Aljazeera at the time of elections in India have crafted a well-written article designed to captivate readers and maintain their narrative. However, their ability to sustain this narrative is limited. Nonetheless, the question remains: How can a news media outlet or an independent rating agency dictate the policies of a sovereign nation? Let’s examine some past indices to understand why India has opted to develop its own indigenous democracy index instead of relying on Western-influenced rating systems which has a consistent high ratings are typically seen exclusively within regions like the EU, Western Europe, North America, and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, reflecting a lingering colonial mindset.
The Democracy Index
In the V-Dem’s Democracy Index, India’s position stands at 104, trailing behind nations like Niger, currently under the control of a military junta with the President placed under house arrest since July 2023. India also falls below Kuwait, where the Parliament was dissolved recently due to an incident involving a lawmaker insulting the Emir. In the latest report, India has been classified as an electoral autocracy, marking a notable shift. Adding to this the irony, the 2022 report identifies India among the top 10 countries undergoing autocratization globally, sharing this distinction with El Salvador, Turkey, and Hungary.
It co-related with amendement in laws such as sedition, defamation, and counterterrorism equated to silence critics and undermining the constitution’s commitment to secularism by amending the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019.
The Happiness Index
India occupies the 126th spot in the Happiness Index, with Pakistan ranking higher at 108 despite facing economic difficulties and terrorist activities. Additionally, India finds itself below countries like Myanmar, experiencing a coup and civil unrest, as well as war-affected regions such as Ukraine and Palestine.
The World Happiness Report, created by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), has faced criticism for its Western-centric definition of happiness, leading to biases favoring the Global North. The report relies on Gallup World Poll data and self-reported responses, resulting in subjective measurements. Cultural biases in survey questions and inadequate representation of diverse cultures, particularly in countries like India, undermine the validity of the findings. Methodological flaws include small sample sizes, inconsistent methodologies over different years, and a failure to account for geopolitical factors and varying aspirations across regions. Additionally, the report overlooks important determinants of happiness such as job security, income inequality, and access to education and healthcare. Furthermore, the treatment of missing data raises concerns about the accuracy of rankings. Overall, the report’s relevance and accuracy are questioned, especially in reflecting the realities of the Global South and Bhutan’s unique approach to measuring happiness.
The Press Freedom Index
According to the Press Freedom Index, India is positioned at 161, placing it lower than Taliban-controlled Afghanistan at 152. Pakistan also surpasses India in this ranking, along with countries like the UAE, Brunei, Somalia, and Uganda.
The Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) annually releases the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) evaluating media freedom in 180 countries. India’s rank in the WPFI has fluctuated over the years, dropping to 142 in the 2020 report. However, concerns have been raised regarding the methodology and transparency of the WPFI. The index is compiled through an online questionnaire answered by NGOs and correspondents, leading to subjective rankings. Critics argue that the survey lacks transparency as scores and respondent details are not disclosed. Additionally, the questionnaire may contain biased questions. Developing countries with government-owned media tend to rank lower, raising questions about the index’s objectivity. Furthermore, RSF’s funding sources are not transparent, undermining its credibility. There are calls for RSF to engage with countries it ranks and revise its methodology to reflect a consensus on press freedom. The Press Council of India has questioned India’s ranking and sought clarification from RSF, but to no avail. Until RSF addresses these concerns and improves transparency, its role as a policy-making aid remains limited.
The Global Hunger Index
The Global Hunger Index 2023 positioned India at 111 out of 121 countries. Within Asia, only Afghanistan ranked lower than India, holding the 109th spot, while countries such as Pakistan (99), Bangladesh (84), Nepal (81), and Sri Lanka (64) all achieved higher rankings. Comparatively, India’s ranking has fluctuated in recent years, standing at 101 out of 116 countries in 2021 and 94 in 2020 on the GHI. New Delhi criticized the Food and Agriculture Organization’s estimates, derived from the “Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)” survey module conducted through the Gallup World Poll. This method, based on a mere “8 questions” posed to a small sample size of 3000 respondents, was deemed insufficient and subjective by Indian authorities. Even though government pulled its bias in 2022 for ranking 107 out of 121 countries, it repeated its same without any effect transparency or changing the methodology.
India has criticized the Global Hunger Index (GHI) jointly released by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe for its inaccuracies and biases, particularly in its estimation of the country’s food security and nutritional status. The report, released annually by Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe, has been accused of using flawed methodology, including a small sample size and subjective opinion polls, to calculate the Proportion of Undernourished (PoU) population. India contends that such methods are not representative of its population and fail to acknowledge government efforts, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure food security. India argued that the GHI overlooks these initiatives and instead relies heavily on health indicators of children, which may not accurately reflect overall food security. The country urges for a more comprehensive and objective assessment of hunger and nutritional needs.
Propaganda By Other Organisations
Notably, The Economist Group’s Economist Intelligence Unit downgraded India to a “flawed democracy” in its 2022 Democracy Index due to substantial setbacks in democratic freedoms under the Modi government. Additionally, Freedom House, a US-based non-profit organization, lowered India’s status from a free democracy to a “partly free” democracy in its global freedom and internet freedom assessments.
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Previously asserted in an interview with India Narrative that global rating agencies demonstrate evident biases against India. Addressing various macroeconomic concerns, Sanyal emphasizes the importance of resisting such biases to safeguard investments and trade flows. This initiative to develop a domestically sourced index marks a significant advancement for India, positioning it to potentially challenge prevailing Western perspectives and claim a prominent position on the global stage.
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