
Governance & Public Policy
Criminalising Dissent: How New Laws and “Public Order” Politics Are Shrinking Democratic Space in India
India is witnessing a steady erosion of democratic freedoms as broad security laws, digital surveillance, and administrative restrictions redefine dissent as a threat rather than a constitutional right. From expanded use of UAPA and IT Rules to routine protest crackdowns and shrinking academic space, the cumulative impact is a quieter and increasingly constrained civic sphere.