EAC-PM Paper Finds 'Serious Problems' With Methodologies Used In Opinion-Based Global Indices On Freedom And Democracy

A working paper by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has found serious problems with the methodology used in perception-based global indices that ranked India on several parameters including democracy and freedom.

The EAC-PM has issued a working paper by its member Sanjeev Sanyal Member and Indian Economic Service (IES) officer Akanksha Arora.

The Paper analyses three perception-based indices: Freedom in the World Index, V-DEM indices, and EIU Democracy Index.

The EAC-PM report has contended that questions used by these indices are not an appropriate measures of democracry across all countries.

Freedom in the World Index and V-DEM indices have placed India at the same level as during the Emergency of the 1970s.

Moreover, India has been placed below countries like Northern Cyprus. Surely, this is not credible, it said.

There are serious problems with the methodology used in these perception-based indices. First, these indices are primarily based on the opinions of a tiny group of unknown “experts”, the EAC-PM said.

Second, the questions that are used are subjective and are worded in a way that is impossible to answer objectively even for a country, let alone compare across countries.

Third, there are questions that should be asked but are excluded.

Fourth, certain questions used by these indices are not an appropriate measure of democracy across all countries, the EAC-PM noted.

The report said that since these indices are inputs into the World Governance Indicators, the World Bank should ensure greater transparency and accountability from these institutions

Meanwhile, independent Indian think tanks should be encouraged to do similar perception-based indices for the world in order to break the monopoly of a handful of western institutions, it added.