Question

What are the challenges of democracy in current Indian politics ? Discuss.

Hint:

For questions on challenges to Indian democracy, remember the "4 Cs": Corruption, Criminalization, Communalism, and Casteism. Also, consider issues like money power and dynastic politics.

Answer 1

While India is the world's largest democracy, it faces several persistent challenges that test its democratic fabric. Some of the key challenges in current Indian politics include: 
\[\begin{array}{rl} 1. & \text{Corruption and Criminalization of Politics: The presence of corruption in public life erodes trust in democratic institutions. Furthermore, the increasing number of elected representatives with criminal records poses a serious threat to the integrity of the political system.} \\ 2. & \text{Role of Money and Muscle Power: The high cost of fighting elections often leads to a reliance on wealthy candidates or illicit funding, creating an uneven playing field. The use of muscle power to intimidate voters and rivals undermines the principle of free and fair elections.} \\ 3. & \text{Communalism and Casteism: The use of religious and caste identities for political mobilization is a major challenge. It divides society, leads to conflict, and diverts attention from genuine issues of development and governance.} \\ 4. & \text{Dynastic Politics: The tendency of political parties to be dominated by a single family or dynasty is a challenge to internal party democracy. It limits opportunities for deserving leaders from non-political backgrounds to rise.} \\ 5. & \text{Challenge of Deepening Democracy: While India has a successful record of holding elections, the challenge is to deepen democracy by strengthening local self-government institutions (Panchayats and Municipalities) and ensuring that the benefits of democracy reach the most marginalized sections of society.} \\ 6. & \text{Erosion of Democratic Institutions: Concerns are often raised about the weakening of autonomous institutions like the judiciary, the Election Commission, and the media, which are crucial for maintaining checks and balances in a democracy.} \\ \end{array}\]