Sweden’s V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute, one of the most-cited democracy datasets, has classified India as an "electoral autocracy" since 2017 — meaning elections still happen, but the wider conditions for liberal democracy (press freedom, civil-society space, checks on power) have weakened.

In the 2025 Democracy Report, India ranked roughly 100th of 179 on the Liberal Democracy Index, and far lower on the egalitarian component. V-Dem also listed India among the 20 worst countries for media censorship over 2014-24.

The fair caveats

Two honest caveats. First, the Indian government rejects these indices as subjective and Western-biased — a position that deserves to be stated. Second, there was a small bright spot: 2024 was the first year since 2008 with no *further* deterioration recorded for India.

But a single foreign index isn’t the whole case. It echoes domestic evidence documented elsewhere on this site — press-freedom decline, internet shutdowns, agencies with near-zero conviction rates — which is why it’s hard to wave away entirely.

What strengthens a democracy

Whatever one thinks of the ranking, the remedies are uncontroversial and constitutional: a free press, independent institutions, space for civil society and protest, and even-handed law enforcement. Defending those isn’t partisan — it’s how a democracy stays one.