DEMOCRACY IN INDIA A CHANGING NOTION

India is the world's largest democracy, characterized by its parliamentary system and a federal structure with unitary features. It's a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic. The country has a strong commitment to democracy, evident in its large-scale elections, a mostly independent judiciary, a largely free press, and a robust civil society. However, it has also faced challenges, including instances of democratic backsliding and restrictions on civil liberties. Democracy is defined as a form of government in which the citizens of that country have direct power to participate in the election and elect the representatives for forming a government body called a parliament. A democratic form of government is based on the majority’s rule i.e. a government can be formed by a party when they have the majority number of votes with them and the process is similar in the case of choosing representatives. The power of a democratic form of government cannot be inherited. Democracy is a form of government where the ruling party is chosen by the people of the country. The party which can form the government must get the majority of the vote in the election and the election occurs every 5 years, so forming a government is not inherited. Democracy in India is a changing notion due to the shrinking space for dissent and opposition, the corporatization of politics, and the emergence of social media's influence. While India remains the world's largest democracy with a tradition of inclusive governance and robust electoral processes, shifts towards a single party's dominance and the centralisation of power are transforming the political landscape and challenging previous democratic norms.