In 2021, I wrote a book called Price of the Modi Years. In one of its chapters I compared India’s ranking in various global indicators that I had been tracking over the years to see if they improved, remained the same or declined since 2014. fell into them or remained the same. Today’s column looks at some important people as we close out 2024.
The United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index tracks life expectancy at birth, education and national income. Our 2014 ranking was 130, and it’s 134 today, down four spots.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index monitors civil liberties, pluralism, political culture and participation and electoral processes in nations. Our 2014 rank was 27 and the latest is 47, a drop of 20 places. India is now classified as a ‘flawed democracy’.
CIVICUS Monitor’s National Civic Space Assessment assesses freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression. In 2017, it rated India as a place where freedoms were “restricted”. India’s current rating has dropped to “suppressed” due to “worrying deterioration of India’s civic position”.
The Lowy Institute Asia Power Asia Power Index tracks national power and influence based on economy, diplomacy, military capabilities, resilience, trade, future trends, cultural influence. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met experts from the Lowy Institute in Sydney in November.
According to the Lowy Institute, India has lost its “major power” status by falling below the 40-point threshold in 2020 and further declines in 2021 and 2022. It remains below 40 in 2024.
Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” index looks at the rule of law, political pluralism and elections, the functioning of government, civil liberties, freedom of expression, association and organization, and individual rights. It rates nations out of 100 and in 2014 India was rated 77/100, and classified as “independent”. Today it is rated 66/100 and classified as “partially free” for various reasons.
The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index rates nations on criminal and civil justice systems, fundamental rights, constraints on government power, lack of corruption, transparent government, order and security, and regulatory enforcement.
In 2014, India was ranked 66th, but in 2022, it rose to 77th and 79th in 2024. India has, among other things, demonstrated weaknesses in its fundamental rights and criminal justice systems.
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network World Happiness Report looks at GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, perceptions of corruption and dystopia.
India fell to 126 from the 2014 ranking of 111. Reasons given include “large and steady decline in life valuation”, less optimistic outlook of residents (2020) and “long-term slide in Indian life valuation” (2021).
The Fraser Institute’s Global Economic Freedom Index looks at the size of government, legal structure, freedom to do international business, credit regulation, labor and trade. India’s ranking here has increased from 112 in 2014 to 84.
Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index monitors media freedom, pluralism, self-censorship, abuse and transparency. India has fallen from a global ranking of 140 in 2014 (which was not a good place earlier) to 159 now.
The World Bank’s Women, Business and Law Index monitors laws and regulations that limit women’s economic opportunities across indicators such as mobility, workplace, wages, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, wealth and pensions. India dropped to 113 from 111 in 2014.
Transparency International’s Global Corruption Perceptions Index looks at corruption in nations’ public sectors. India has fallen to 93 from the global ranking of 85 in 2014.
The Heritage Foundation’s Global Economic Freedom Index monitors the rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and open markets.
India was ranked 120th in 2014 and has since fallen to 126th. Reasons cited include “large-scale political corruption”; “little evidence that anti-corruption laws are effective”; “The foundations for long-term economic development remain weak without an effectively functioning legal framework”; “Rule of law is weak in India”.
The International Food Policy Research Institute’s Global Hunger Index monitors hunger, child stunting and malnutrition. Here India was ranked 55th out of 76 nations in 2014 and now stands at 105th out of 127 nations. More than 13 percent of Indians are malnourished, 37 percent of children under five are stunted (low height for age) and 18 percent are wasted (low weight for height).
India has rejected the hunger index findings as flawed and does not reflect the actual situation in the country. But the reality is that 60 percent of Indians think that the government itself needs free monthly ration.
Similarly, the government has rejected the decline in other indices as induced or biased or based on faulty data or other factors. Some indices have stopped responding altogether. This government did not think that there would be reforms after assuming office for the first time.
When India climbed the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term, it was hailed as an achievement of good governance. The index was discontinued in 2018 after it was discovered that countries were gaming the system to increase the ranking.
My broader point is this: only those who have been looking at the numbers for a decade or more can conclude that there has been a slippage in key indicators related to governance.