India still ‘partly free’ in Freedom House report

India’s status as a democracy and free society remained “partly free” for the second consecutive year in the annual report of Freedom House.

About the report:

• Freedom in the World is the most widely read and cited report of its kind, tracking global trends in political rights and civil liberties for almost 50 years.
• It is published by a US government-funded NGO ‘Freedom House’ that studies political freedom around the globe.
  • Freedom House is the oldest American organization devoted to the support and defense of democracy around the world.
  • It was formally established in New York in 1941 to promote American involvement in World War II and the fight against fascism. 
• Since 1973, Freedom House has assessed the condition of political rights and civil liberties around the world.
• Scores are Based on:
  • Political rightsindicators such as the electoral process, political pluralism and participation and government functioning.
  • Civil libertiesindicators related to freedom of expression and belief, associational and organisational rights, the rule of law and personal autonomy and individual rights.
  • Countries are declared as “free”, “partly free” or “not free”.

Key findings in 2022 report:

• The report is titled, “Freedom in the World 2022 – The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule”.
• India’s status as a democracy and free society remained “partly free” for the second consecutive year.
• Freedom House downgraded India to “partly free” in the 2021 report, after listing it as “free” in the reports for 2018, 2019 and 2020.
• India’s score was 66, a drop from 71/100 from in 2020 (reflecting 2019 data).
• The report said that India had “suffered a series of setbacks to political rights and civil liberties” and it had “showed no signs of reversing course, as notable opposition figures faced arrest and surveillance”.
• The report alleged “discriminatory policies and a rise in persecution affecting the Muslim population”.
• The harassment of journalists, non-governmental organisations and other government critics has “increased significantly”, while Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis “remain economically and socially marginalised”.