The ORF is in the process of developing a democracy ratings index tailored to align more closely with New Delhi's perspective.Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has taken steps to address recent downgrades in India’s democracy rankings by international groups, which it perceives as potentially detrimental to the country’s credit rating. To counter this, the government has engaged with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a think tank that works closely with government on its initiatives, Al Jazeera reported.
According to sources quoted by the news network, the ORF is in the process of developing a democracy ratings index tailored to align more closely with New Delhi’s perspective, distinguishing it from Western-centric assessments that have drawn criticism from Modi’s team.
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that discussions regarding the Democracy Rankings were initiated during a review meeting convened by NITI Aayog in January. It was decided that ORF would spearhead the initiative, with the expectation of releasing the index in the coming weeks.
Another source familiar with the development confirmed that the Democracy Index, following a rigorous peer review process and expert analysis on methodology, could be released soon.
While the exact timeline for the index’s release remains uncertain, there’s speculation about a potential unveiling before the Lok Sabha elections, slated to start on April 19, with result announcement on June 4.
The ORF, known for its significant role in hosting key geopolitical and geo-economic conferences such as the Raisina Dialogue, didn’t respond to queries from Al Jazeera.
Whereas NITI Aayog denied direct involvement in designing the Democracy Index but refrained from confirming or denying its involvement with external agencies in this regard.
While the specific criteria that an indigenous Indian democracy ratings index might employ remains uncertain, there are concerns that such a rating could potentially undermine the country’s credibility on the global stage. Should the index be perceived as influenced by the Indian government, it may lack legitimacy in the eyes of other nations and international organizations.
According to some analysts, such an endeavor could even prove counterproductive for India. A prominent expert suggested that if the government were to undertake such an initiative, it could inadvertently weaken India’s position.
“In fact, I would say that if the government started this sort of exercise, it would damage India’s case. It would be best to ignore the democracy and other subjective elements of sovereign ratings given their minor weight,” an economist told Al Jazeera.