Search

This regional report on Asia applies the globally informed framework developed in International IDEA’s 2023 report Designing Resistance: Democratic Institutions and the Threat of Backsliding. Through case studies examining eight countries—India, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand—the report

This discussion paper is a result of the work performed at the Democracy in South Asia Outlook Forum in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 28–30 November 2024, convened by International IDEA and the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA). The forum brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

This case study explores the complex landscape of India’s internal and international migration and its profound impact on the nation’s political formation. The electoral process, primarily designed around stable voter residency, limits the participation of a constantly mobile population both within and outside the country.

Legislatures are vital institutions at the heart of any democracy. They not only enact laws and approve budgets, but also act as representative and deliberative assemblies, and as bodies that scrutinize and oversee the actions of the executive. In order to perform these functions effectively, legislatures need to be organized, in terms of their internal leadership, their committee structures, and the rules by which they transact public business.

India, the world’s largest democracy, has in recent years witnessed a significant transformation in political campaigning, particularly following the advent of digital media. Since 2014, there has been a noticeable surge in the use of social media for electoral campaigning and its appeal has continued to grow.

India faces extremely high exposure to ecological threats and, therefore, it is important to consider the effects of natural hazards on electoral processes in the country. This case study explores adaptive measures adopted by the Electoral Commission of India (ECI) to safeguard the electoral process from natural hazards on the subnational and national levels.