Future of Democracy: Its Issues and Threats to the Indian Constitution

As there is neither a current nor probable ultimate agreement on the definition or complete meaning of democracy, it is a prime example of a "basically disputed" notion . Yet, there is widespread agreement on many aspects of democracy and specific instances of democratic conduct. For the most part, it is accepted as fact that democracies are systems of government in which the people have some say in policymaking and where collective decisions are made. However, the extra qualities that have been added to this fundamental formulation have caused major and serious disagreement concerning the many definitions of democracy. We will now examine the several definitions of democracy used in this study, including procedural democracy, liberal democracy, and social democracy.[1] In a democracy, citizens choose their leaders via free and fair elections, as shown in India's Parliament. They call it "majority rule" for a reason. In a democratic government, power may be passed from generation to generation. Democracy as a political and philosophical concept has its origins in ancient Greek philosophical and political philosophy, namely in the city-state of Athens. Demos means "ordinary people" and Kratos means "power" in Greek, hence the term derives from those two concepts. The right to vote is an essential part of a democratic society, and it goes against democratic principles to deny some populations the right. Republic governance, a kind of democracy, is in place in the United States, and elected officials there carry out the will of the people. India's democracy, the biggest in the world, was established when the country gained its independence in 1947.[2] Each and every Indian citizen, regardless of their religion, gender, or ethnicity, is guaranteed the opportunity to cast a ballot in the country's elections. To secure to all its citizens Justice social, economic, and political; freedom of thought, expression, belief, worship, and faith; equal status and opportunity; and to stimulate by many them all fraternity reassuring the majesty of the individual or the union and integrity of the Nation, as stated in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Democracy is highly regarded as a type of governance due to its many positive traits, like as In a democratic system, voters have the opportunity to choose their preferred political ideology from among many competing parties. This system, known as "majority rule," is based on a simple majority vote in parliament. [3] People have the right to freely express their opinions without fear of retribution, and they are free to organize themselves into political parties and take part in democratic life without hindrance. It is the responsibility of the state to safeguard citizens' rights and prevent the infringement of anyone's freedoms. minority rights must be preserved It is the responsibility of the Indian government to ensure that the rights of India's minority groups are not violated while the majority remains in power. Adherence to the Rule of Law - In a democratic government, all citizens are obligated to uphold the law, and the law itself serves to safeguard the rights of the populace. Regard for Democratic Procedures: People or of any democratic government. The democratic government of India is under constant attack. [4] India is home to the biggest impoverished community in the world, with almost two-thirds of its population living in poverty. Since Independence, India's democracy has been hampered by issues like illiteracy, joblessness, slow economic growth, the rigid caste structure, and competing ideologies like regionalism, federalism, and communalism. Elections play a crucial role in the functioning of a democratic state, which is exactly the case in India. The authority to hold elections in India rests with the Election Commission of India, a constitutionally established organization that will remain in place indefinitely. Elections for the Parliament, state legislatures, and other local authorities (including panchayats) are held throughout the year by the Electoral Commission of India. [5] In a nation where orthodox beliefs predominate, political parties in India often resort to appeals to the masses in order to secure electoral victory. It's very uncommon for politicians to coerce undocumented residents into registering to vote in India on the false pretense that doing so would give them the right to vote. Many political parties utilize casteism and caste as a tool to win over voters, and caste organizations sometimes exert pressure on parties to get voting seats for their members. Acceptance of caste-based voting is a major flaw in India's democratic and egalitarian system. Separation occurs inside the nation as a result of this as well. The lack of moral values among political leaders, the corruption that permeates the Indian political system, the fact that most people in it are only interested in using it to advance their own interests, and the fact that nobody gives a damn about the country's development are all reasons to be concerned about the rise of communalism in India.[6]

To better understand and foster the conditions that are conducive to democracy, and to demonstrate the tangible benefits that come with establishing democracy around the world - including better and more equitable economic development, the promotion and protection of human rights, and a greater guarantee for human security - the consequences and causes of democracy have long been at the forefront of scholarly policy and research making. In a different area of research, scholars analyze the real-world gains that democracies bring about at home and abroad. Democracy exists in all of these contexts, serving as both a goal in and a means to other, connected results that benefit mankind.[7]

While India's illiteracy rate is high, the country's democracy and economic growth would suffer without to get an education, which is a key factor in the country's high illiteracy rate. There has been limited success in enforcing India's constitutional requirement that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 attend school. This is due in large part to obstacles such as a lack of funding and power, as well as the caste system and the need to reserve seats for certain groups. Furthermore, many rural residents still refuse to send their children to school for religious or economic reasons, even though such schools exist in their communities. [8] Students' access to and participation in schools are hindered in metropolitan areas due to quotas and political influence. A large portion of India's population is illiterate because qualified candidates are ignored. Although India's literacy rate has increased from 57.6% in 2001 to 77.7% today, the country still faces significant barriers to universal education. For example, while NEP's focus on digital education ignores the fact that only 8.2% of Indian households have access to computers and laptops and many rural areas still lack access to electricity, the country's literacy rate has increased only slightly since 2001. 24*7.

Extreme poverty has always been a problem in India. If you don't have access to basic necessities like food, housing, and employment, then exercising your right to vote is meaningless. This is especially true in India, which has the world's biggest population of the impoverished. Death rates in India are in the 50 percent range because of food and water shortages. Many edible items go to waste in urban areas of India. In addition to having the world's second-largest population, India also has a rapidly expanding middle class that requires ever more sustenance. The population is growing by 17 million each year, and almost all of them (94%) are working in the informal economy. [9] Reduced agricultural output can be attributed to a number of factors, including salinization, a lack of vocational training, a lack of knowledge about crop production, nutrients, productivity, and fertilizers, farmers' already-difficult financial situations, a dearth of cold storage facilities, and inadequate agricultural

expropriation of farmland for urban sprawl have driven some farmers to suicide and pushed others further into poverty, while others, despite their education, remain unemployed because of the influence of wealthy politicians and the use of quotas. Child labor in India is on the rise due to a combination of factors, including a lack of family planning and housing, as well as rising urbanization, as more people move to cities in search of work and better living conditions and end up living in slums.[10]

To put it simply, human labor is the bedrock of every industrial system. It's a major contributor to the production of products and services in any economy. Metier is the economic term for "labor" in India. About 41.19 percent of India's workforce is engaged in agriculture, 26.18 percent in manufacturing, and 32.33 percent in providing services. From this, we learn that 94% of the labor force is engaged in the informal economy; these individuals are mostly self-employed and run their own businesses, such as general stores, workshops, farms, etc. Four categories characterize the informal sector of the labor force, with the mellow group and the service class standing out as particularly distinct. While the public sector employs more people overall, the private sector has a higher percentage of workers aged 25 to 54, and the private-to-public sector gender ratio is more male-dominated than female-dominated. [11] They employ 5.5 million women & 22 million men. It's a different story, however, when it comes to employment rates, between the country and the city. There is a significant amount of unemployed people in India. Those who operate in the informal economy must rely on their daily income since they do not get a regular paycheck. In India, over two-thirds of the population is either poor or jobless. The origins of unemployment in India may be traced all the way back to the time of ancient India's caste system. One of the primary causes of unemployment in India is the country's rigid caste system, while sluggish economic growth, an underdeveloped agricultural sector, the prevalence of joint families, poor planning, inadequate irrigation, and a lack of available manufactured goods all play a role.[12] There has been a steady decline in the number of women in the labor force in India over the past few years; the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is expected to fall by 23% between 2011 and 2022. This is due to a number of factors, including patriarchal culture, a lack of workplace safety measures, and a failure to pay women equally for equivalent work. With India's economy on the rise, it's crucial that more women join the labor force. Growth of the economy is crucial to the effective functioning of a democratic government.[13] It's a significant threat to India's federal system. When tensions are reduced between the national government and individual states, federalism thrives as a democratic system. India's diverse population fosters a wide range of cultural expressions, one of which is regionalism. One definition of regionalism is an intense attachment to one's local community. Many sections of India are seeing a surge in regionalism despite the federal government's effectiveness in governing the nation in the years after independence. Popularity of Telangana's independence in 2014 has increased calls for further states. Gorkhaland claims from West Bengal and the four-fold separation of Uttar Pradesh are the result of regionalism that poses a severe danger to India's federal system. There has been a resurgence in the unrest in Gorkhaland, Bodoland, and KarbiAnglong. There are calls for a breakaway Vidarbha state in Maharashtra, just as there are for a separate Harit Pradesh or Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh. The more states there are, the more the center will be held prisoner to state parties on topics of national significance, which is contrary to the principles of democracy since it is not what the people want. The views of the general public are crucial in a democratic society.[14]

Congressional checks and balances, In contrast to the United States and Australia, India's constitution divides government authority according to three categories in Schedule 7. The scope of the federal government's and individual states' authority is laid forth in detail. Concurrent powers are shared between the Union and the states, whereas those on the Union and State lists are shared equally. The federal government is given final say over any remaining issues. All matters of national importance, such as defense, foreign affairs, railways, currency, are under the supervision of a central government, while matters that are regionally and initially important for the states are under the state list, which includes education, public health, police, and local assignment. [15] When two laws seem to be at odds with one another, the more central one always wins out. Centralization of power, which poses a threat to India's federal structure and the country's democratic system as a whole, has been a serious issue among the states due to Articles 200, 352, and 360 and the compulsory compliances by the states with executive power of the state under Articles 256 and 257. The misuse of authority for personal gain is the essence of corruption. There are many negative effects that corruption has on a democracy. These include a lack of openness in political and campaign financing, the concentration of power in the hands of a few, the erosion of the system of checks and to progress, and a decline in political engagement. As a result of corruption, instability, violence, and extremism flourish, and the populace searches for a new form of government to restore order. As a result of corruption, people turn to violent, religious, ethnic, and political extremism for solutions. In a country like India, where women's and minorities' opinions are routinely muzzled, corruption poses the greatest danger to the country's democracy.[16]

Corruption, communalism, constant Hindu -Muslim conflict, demand for new states, Central constant over supremacy over states activities, lack of economic development, with increase rate of unemployment, rise in poverty & hunger, existences of multi-political parties, and unfair means of elections despite so many election reform made from time to time. Liberal elites & political philosophers are having an important conversation about the future of democracy. If India ever hopes to become a real democracy, it must put a stop to corruption, sectarian behaviors, and caste-based politics. A government that serves its citizens and isn't itself governed by power brokers; a nation for, by, and about its people.

1. Iran Hall , Not promoting , not Exporting : India‘s Democracy Assistance (2018) 2. Yeshi Choedon 2015 ,June ,India and Democracy Promotion : Cautions Approach and opportunity 3. Asian Surevy , India‘s Regional and International Support for Democracy : Rhetoric or reality . (2021) 4. Christine Loser , Hindu Nationalism : A threat to Indian Democracy . (2017) 5. Dr. Kiran Pramod Tiwary Prof (Dr.) Shashi Sharma , Major Threats to Indian Democracy and a Gandhian Remedy . (2019) 6. Thomas Reuter, ―Political Parties and the Power of Money in Indonesia and Beyond,‖ TRaNS: Trans –Regional and –National Studies of Southeast Asia (2015): 1–22 7. Alberto Zucconi, ―Effective Helping Relationships: Focus on illness or on health and well being?‖ In B. Lewitt (Ed.). Reflections of Human Potential: The Person-Centered Approach as a positive psychology (Monmouth: PCC Books, 2018). 8. Alberto Zucconi, ―The Politics of the helping Counseling 10, no. 1 (2017), 2-10. 9. Harlan Cleveland et al., Human Choice: The Genetic Code for Social Development (Minneapolis: World Academy of Art and Science, 2020) 10. Duff Conacher, ―Honesty in politics is the best policy, and so it should be required by law‖ December 22, 2021 iPolitics https:// ipolitics.ca/2011/12/22/honesty-in-politics-is-the-best-policy-and-so-it-should-be-required-by-law/ 11. Garry Jacobs et al., ―Quest for a New Paradigm in Economics - A Synthesis of Views of the New Economics Working Group,‖ Cadmus 3, no.2 (2017): 10-44 http://cadmusjournal.org/article/volume-3/issue-2/quest-new-paradigm-economics-synthesisviews-new-economics-working-group 12. John Bunzl and Nick Duffell, The SIMPOL Solution: Saving Global Problems Could Be Easier Than We Think (London: Peter Owen Publishers, 2017) 13. Garry Jacobs, ―Cryptocurrencies and the challenge of global governance,‖ Cadmus 3, no.4(2018): 109-123 14. Lijphart, A., Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries (New Haven, Ct: Yale University Press, 2018) 15. Kopstein, J., ‗The Transatlantic Divide over Democracy Promotion‘, Washington Quarterly, 29/2 (2016), pp. 85–98 16. International IDEA, Democracy at the Local Level: The International IDEA Handbook on Representation, Participation, Conflict Management and Governance (Stockholm: International IDEA, 2021),

Assistant Professor, DAV College Pehowa, Kurukshetra - 136128