The Modi government has embarked on a concerted campaign to reshape India’s global image, particularly in response to international indices that cast the country in an unfavourable light. Dubbed by critics as the “Ministry of Truth,” this operation epitomizes a governance style fixated on optics over substance. A deep dive into the methods employed reveals a troubling pattern of manipulating data, discrediting global benchmarks, and substituting them with dubious domestic metrics to fabricate a rosier narrative.
The Playbook: Obfuscation and Manipulation
Central to this operation is the Global Indices Research Group (GIRG), a specially formed unit tasked with monitoring over 30 global indices, including those assessing hunger, poverty, democracy, and the rule of law. Ministries and embassies have been co-opted into this effort, reflecting its significance in the government’s strategy. Rather than addressing the root causes of India’s poor performance in these rankings, the focus has been on lobbying to alter methodologies, undermining the credibility of indices, and creating parallel domestic metrics that tell a more favourable story.
For instance, indices such as the Global Hunger Index and the World Press Freedom Index have come under fire from the government, with ministers dismissing them as biased or ideologically driven. These accusations often lack substantive counter-evidence and appear to be part of a broader strategy to delegitimize any critique. Lobbying international organizations to tweak methodologies and selectively engaging with data to influence outcomes is another tactic. Such moves reflect an obsession with controlling the narrative, even at the cost of credibility. Meanwhile, domestic critics and civil society groups who highlight these issues are often sidelined or silenced, further eroding transparency and accountability.
Homegrown Indices: A Flawed Alternative
One of the more insidious aspects of this campaign is the creation of domestic indices that purportedly reflect India’s realities more accurately. However, these metrics often rely on selective data and questionable methodologies designed to produce predetermined outcomes. For example, a new poverty index introduced by the government claims to show a dramatic reduction in poverty levels. Critics argue that this index cherry-picks parameters and excludes inconvenient data points, painting a misleadingly optimistic picture. Such practices not only undermine public trust but also hinder genuine policy interventions aimed at alleviating poverty.
The homemade poverty index, for instance, focuses narrowly on income thresholds while ignoring multidimensional poverty indicators like healthcare access, education quality, and living conditions. This oversimplified approach masks the struggles of millions who hover just above the poverty line but remain deprived in other aspects of life. By showcasing this manipulated data, the government presents an illusion of progress while leaving systemic issues unaddressed. This distortion not only hampers policy formulation but also diverts attention from pressing social challenges that require urgent intervention.
Optics Over Outcomes
This obsession with rankings and optics has tangible consequences. By prioritizing perception management over substantive reforms, the government risks entrenching systemic issues rather than addressing them. Hunger, poverty, and governance deficits cannot be wished away through statistical sleight of hand. Moreover, the government’s approach reflects a troubling disregard for democratic principles, as dissenting voices and critical assessments are systematically silenced or delegitimized.
India’s position on global indices such as the Democracy Index and Rule of Law Index has been steadily declining, signaling deep-seated governance challenges. Yet, instead of addressing the underlying causes—rising corruption, judicial inefficiency, and weakening institutions—the government opts to discredit the indices themselves. This strategy not only erodes international trust but also undermines India’s democratic ethos, which has been its hallmark for decades.
To Show Dramatic Reduction in Poverty, Modi Gov’t Rigged a Homemade Poverty Index
A closer examination of the government’s homemade poverty index reveals the extent to which data manipulation has been institutionalized. Confidential reports indicate that the index was designed with the explicit objective of showcasing a decline in poverty, irrespective of ground realities. This preordained conclusion was achieved by selectively choosing parameters that favoured the government’s narrative while excluding indicators that might contradict it.
The Mechanics of Deception
The homemade index adopts a narrow definition of poverty, focusing on income-based metrics while ignoring multidimensional aspects such as access to healthcare, education, and basic amenities. This approach conveniently overlooks the struggles of millions who may earn marginally above the income threshold but continue to face deprivation in other critical areas. By using opaque data sources and limiting public scrutiny, the government ensures that these numbers remain unchallenged in the public domain.
For instance, rural poverty is often underestimated by excluding informal laborers or those without formal income documentation. Urban poverty, similarly, is downplayed by relying on outdated cost-of-living metrics. This selective representation allows the government to boast about poverty reduction while masking the true extent of deprivation in both rural and urban India. Independent assessments, however, paint a starkly different picture, with many pointing to growing inequalities and stagnant living conditions for a significant portion of the population.
Political Exploitation of Flawed Data
Armed with these manipulated figures, the Modi government has not hesitated to use them as a political tool. During election campaigns, these numbers have been flaunted as evidence of the government’s success in tackling poverty. Such claims, however, ring hollow when juxtaposed with independent assessments that highlight persistent poverty and inequality in India. The disconnect between the government’s narrative and the lived experiences of ordinary citizens underscores the dangers of prioritizing propaganda over policy.
Consequences for Policy and Governance
The fabrication of a flattering poverty index has far-reaching implications. By distorting the true extent of poverty, the government undermines the formulation of effective policies and the allocation of resources. Moreover, this approach erodes public trust in official statistics, a cornerstone of evidence-based policymaking. The credibility of India’s statistical apparatus, once considered robust, is now increasingly under scrutiny, both domestically and internationally. Without accurate data, the government risks misallocating resources and perpetuating inefficiencies in its poverty alleviation programs.
Revealed: When Officials Admitted India’s Rule of Law and Democracy are Failing
The concluding part of this investigation lays bare the contradictions within the Modi government’s approach to governance. While publicly dismissing global indices that critique India’s democratic backsliding and rule of law, internal communications reveal a tacit acknowledgement of these issues.
Rising Corruption and Politicized Institutions
Confidential documents and insider accounts indicate that ministries and officials are well aware of the challenges facing India’s democracy and rule of law. Corruption remains pervasive, and key institutions such as investigative agencies and the judiciary are increasingly seen as politicized. These institutions, once considered pillars of India’s democratic framework, are now frequently accused of serving partisan interests rather than upholding justice and accountability.
The Erosion of Democratic Norms
Under the Modi government, democratic norms have come under sustained assault. The concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office, the marginalization of opposition voices, and the stifling of media freedom are indicative of a broader authoritarian trend. Whistleblowers and activists face mounting threats, while investigative agencies are used to intimidate dissenters. These developments are not only at odds with India’s democratic traditions but also undermine its global standing as the world’s largest democracy.
Accountability and the Path Forward
The government’s failure to acknowledge and address these issues reflects a deeper crisis of accountability. By prioritizing perception management over genuine reforms, the Modi government risks eroding the very foundations of India’s democracy. Reversing this trend requires a commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and the rule of law. Only by confronting these challenges head-on can India reclaim its democratic promise and restore its credibility on the global stage.
The Modi government’s obsession with controlling narratives and whitewashing global indices is emblematic of a governance style that prioritizes optics over outcomes. From manipulating poverty data to discrediting critical assessments of democracy and the rule of law, the government’s approach raises serious questions about its commitment to transparency, accountability, and genuine reform. As India grapples with complex challenges, it is imperative for policymakers to shift their focus from managing perceptions to addressing ground realities. Only then can the nation fulfil its potential and uphold its democratic ideals.
