Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has raised concerns over India’s position on the Electoral Democracy Index, citing the country’s 106th rank among 179 nations in the latest assessment by the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute.

Chidambaram highlighted the ranking in a post on X, pointing to what he described as India’s lowest democracy index score since 1975. The V-Dem Democracy Report 2026 assigns India a score of 0.38 on the Electoral Democracy Index for 2025, placing it 106th globally. 

Chidambaram highlights V-Dem assessment

Sharing the findings, Chidambaram said the latest figures required no further comment, drawing attention to both India's ranking and its historical score.

The Congress leader's remarks come amid an ongoing political debate over the condition of democratic institutions, electoral processes, freedom of expression and political competition in India.

The V-Dem assessment is an international academic measurement of democracy and is separate from India's official electoral institutions. Its Electoral Democracy Index measures the extent to which political leaders are elected through free and fair elections while also considering freedoms of association and expression. (Our World in Data)

India ranked 106th among 179 countries

According to the 2026 V-Dem assessment, India stood at 106th position out of 179 countries on the Electoral Democracy Index, with a score of 0.38.

The report also placed India at 105th on the Liberal Democracy Index, with a score of 0.26. V-Dem categorised India as an electoral autocracy in its classification of political regimes. 

V-Dem's framework evaluates democracy through several dimensions, including electoral, liberal, participatory, deliberative and egalitarian principles. The institute says its methodology goes beyond simply examining whether elections are held and uses a large set of indicators to assess different aspects of democratic governance. 

Report examines democratic conditions

The V-Dem Democracy Report 2026, titled Unraveling The Democratic Era?, is produced by the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The institute's assessment tracks changes in democratic conditions across countries and uses expert-coded data to construct its various democracy indices. Its Electoral Democracy Index specifically focuses on the extent to which citizens can choose political leaders through competitive elections and whether key freedoms associated with electoral democracy are protected. 

India classified as electoral autocracy

The V-Dem report's classification of India as an electoral autocracy has previously been a point of political debate. The latest assessment continues that classification while placing India 106th on the Electoral Democracy Index.

The report also points to concerns over freedom of expression, media independence, civil society and political competition as factors associated with India's democratic trajectory. These are findings of V-Dem's assessment and should be distinguished from the positions of Indian political parties on the subject. 

Congress has repeatedly raised democracy concerns

Chidambaram's comments come against the backdrop of repeated criticism by Congress leaders over what they describe as a decline in democratic institutions and electoral safeguards.

The opposition party has also raised concerns about electoral processes and the functioning of institutions, while the government and its supporters have rejected allegations of democratic decline.

The latest V-Dem ranking is therefore likely to become another point of political debate, with the opposition using the international assessment to question the state of Indian democracy.

What the ranking measures

The Electoral Democracy Index is scored on a scale from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating a greater degree of electoral democracy. V-Dem defines the measure in terms of free and fair elections, comprehensive suffrage and freedoms of association and expression. 

The ranking should therefore be read as an assessment produced under V-Dem's methodology rather than as an official determination of the quality or legitimacy of India's elections. India's 106th position and the 0.38 score are the specific figures highlighted by Chidambaram in his criticism of the country's democratic trajectory.

The debate over India's competitive examination system intensified on Wednesday after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that families of students appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) collectively spend around ₹1.32 lakh crore every year. She argued that the amount is nearly equivalent to the Union government's annual education budget of ₹1.40 lakh crore.

In a post on social media, Priyanka Gandhi also alleged that loan waivers worth ₹16 lakh crore had been extended to select business groups, drawing a contrast between public spending on education and financial support provided to corporate entities.

Her remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi visited Kota, Rajasthan, and interacted with students and their families under the "Chhatro Ki Goonj" programme. The discussion focused on academic pressure, competitive examinations, and the mental health challenges faced by students preparing for high-stakes entrance tests.

Focus on Student Pressure

Addressing students at Kota's Dussehra Ground, Rahul Gandhi said the current education system places immense pressure on young people and often contributes to anxiety and emotional distress.

He urged collective efforts to create an environment where students are not pushed toward extreme measures due to academic stress. Rahul also claimed that preparation for major competitive examinations, including NEET and JEE, costs Indian families nearly ₹5 lakh crore annually.

Kota, known as India's coaching hub, attracts thousands of aspirants every year preparing for medical and engineering entrance examinations.

NTA Revises Admit Card Process

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced a significant change in the process for downloading NEET-UG 2026 re-examination admit cards.

According to the revised procedure, candidates can now download their admit cards even if they have not completed bank account verification. Earlier, verification was mandatory before access to admit cards was granted.

The agency clarified that students will remain eligible for fee refunds even if bank verification is completed after downloading the admit card. The move is expected to benefit candidates who faced technical or documentation-related delays.

Re-Examination on June 21

The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to be conducted on 21 June in a single shift from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM. Candidates will also receive an additional 15 minutes for administrative formalities.

Earlier this month, NTA introduced several changes for the re-exam. The duration of the test has been extended from 180 minutes to 195 minutes, and candidates will be provided with four rough-work sheets along with increased space for calculations and notes.

Background of the Re-Test

The original NEET-UG 2026 examination was conducted on 3 May across the country. However, allegations of question paper leaks and examination irregularities surfaced from multiple states soon after the test.

Following preliminary investigations and reports of potential malpractice, the examination was cancelled on 12 May. Subsequently, the Central government and investigating agencies recommended a fresh examination to ensure fairness and transparency in the admission process.

Importance of NEET

NEET remains India's largest medical entrance examination and serves as the gateway for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, nursing, and other healthcare-related courses.

The examination is used for admission to more than one lakh seats in medical and allied health institutions across the country, including premier institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research.

With the re-examination approaching, concerns over exam integrity, student welfare, and the rising financial burden of competitive test preparation continue to remain at the centre of the national education debate.

The political standoff between Saurabh Bhardwaj and Raghav Chadha has intensified into one of the sharpest internal confrontations seen in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with the dispute now spilling beyond ideology into personal attacks. The latest flashpoint came after Bhardwaj accused Chadha of using the party’s political platform for personal advancement, including claiming that his marriage to actor Parineeti Chopra became possible only because he was made a Rajya Sabha MP.

The remarks mark a sharp escalation in the ongoing feud that began after Raghav Chadha publicly distanced himself from AAP and criticised the party’s internal functioning. The exchange has quickly become a major India News Update, drawing attention across political and social circles.

Chadha Breaks Silence

Raghav Chadha on Monday broke his silence through a video statement, defending his decision to part ways with the party he had served for over a decade. He said he had left behind a chartered accountancy career to help build AAP and spent 15 years working for the organisation.

In his statement, Chadha described the party’s internal environment as “toxic” and alleged that AAP had drifted away from its founding principles. He claimed the organisation had come under the influence of “corrupt elements” and said remaining in such a setup was no longer possible.

Chadha compared his decision to leaving a workplace where the environment had become unworkable, arguing that changing course was necessary when institutional values begin to erode.

Bhardwaj Hits Back

Saurabh Bhardwaj responded with a direct and aggressive rebuttal, rejecting Chadha’s comparison between politics and a corporate workplace. He said politics was rooted in ideology and public accountability, not professional convenience.

Bhardwaj accused Chadha of betraying the party that gave him political recognition and alleged that his exit was part of a larger effort to weaken AAP from within. According to party leaders, Chadha’s move has triggered concern within the organisation over possible defections and political realignment.

In his strongest remark, Bhardwaj said Chadha’s political relevance and social visibility were built entirely through AAP, adding that even his marriage had been made possible because of the stature he gained as a Rajya Sabha member.

Marriage Remark Sparks Debate

Bhardwaj’s comments on Chadha’s marriage to Parineeti Chopra have drawn immediate political and social attention. The couple married in September 2023 in a high-profile ceremony that had attracted wide public and media coverage.

The reference to Chadha’s personal life has widened the controversy, with critics questioning whether private relationships should be dragged into political disputes. The remark has also triggered fresh debate on social media, where supporters and critics of both leaders have sharply reacted.

As per reports, the personal nature of the attack has made the fallout more politically sensitive, especially for a party that has often projected itself as distinct from conventional personality-driven politics.

Crisis Inside AAP

The public fallout reflects a deeper internal crisis within AAP, which is facing one of its most serious organisational challenges since its rise as a national political force. The current conflict appears to stem from both ideological disagreements and leadership distrust.

Party insiders indicated that Chadha’s criticism has been viewed by sections of the leadership as more than a resignation, with some interpreting it as an attempt to damage the party’s internal cohesion. AAP leaders have also alleged that Chadha was working to destabilise the organisation at a critical political moment. That charge has not been independently verified, but it has become central to the party’s public response.

Political Stakes Rise

The escalating feud comes at a sensitive time for AAP, which is trying to retain its national relevance amid pressure from both the BJP and Congress. A prolonged public split could affect cadre morale, voter confidence and the party’s ability to maintain a coherent national message.

For Chadha, the fallout also carries political risk. Once seen as one of AAP’s most visible national faces, his public break with the party has now turned into a credibility battle over loyalty, ambition and political intent.