January 26 is recognized as Republic Day because the Constitution empowered Indian citizens to choose their government, paving the way for democracy. To understand the status of democracy today, lets review the pillars of democracy. Legislature and Executive: 31 per cent of MPs and 29 per cent of MLAs face serious criminal charges. Judiciary: India's judiciary is overwhelmed with over 5 crore pending cases, and some verdicts seem lenient, like essay writing or minimal fines. Activists are jailed without hearings, while convicted criminals like Asaram Bapu, Ram Rahim, and Kuldeep Singh Sengar get bail. Press: India ranks 151st out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, with a "very serious" score of 32.96. Additionally the Prime Minister of our country hasn't held a press conference in 11 years.
