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India’s economy, institutions worse under Modi: study
A study by political scientists Kevin Grier and Robin Grier of Texas Tech University, published in a paper titled 'Promises, Promises: Governance and Growth in India under Modi and the BJP', has found that India's governance and per capita income growth were worse under Prime Minister Narendra Modi than they would have been under any previous government, including Manmohan Singh's UPA and Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA. ThePrint reports that the study uses a synthetic control method to construct a 'Synthetic India' from comparable emerging economies, which provides a baseline for expected performance after 2014.
The paper found that all ten governance indicators measuring institutional strength fell under Modi, including liberal democracy, judicial constraints, political corruption, and freedom of expression. It also found that per capita income in 2023 was about 10 percent below what it would otherwise have been, translating to a cumulative notional loss of roughly $2.65 trillion over the decade. ThePrint notes that critics question the study's methodology, including the use of V-Dem democracy indices, but argues that three separate global surveys show the same decline in democratic standards for India.
Indian Opinion Analysis
ThePrint's framing is explicitly government-critical, leading with the study's conclusion that Modi's tenure was worse on both governance and growth. It dismisses counterarguments, such as India's GDP ranking rise, as not contradicting the thesis. ThePrint omits any government response or defense of its economic record, which is notable given the study's use of V-Dem indices that critics deem subjective. The measured takeaway is that the paper adds to a body of research on democratic backsliding and economic performance under populist leaders, but its methodological debates mean it should not be treated as definitive. Watch for further academic scrutiny of the synthetic control method's robustness.
Coverage: 1 source, 1 government-critical
Source: theprint.in (government critical)
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
