Context: Recently at the Summit for Democracy convened by U.S. President, the Prime Minister of India stated that democracies should jointly deal with social media and crypto currencies.
Background

• These come amid a tussle between the government and social media firms on multiple issues including content and freedom of speech.

PM remarks at the first Summit for Democracy

• Technology’s ability to affect democracy positively or negatively, “technology companies should contribute to preserving open and democratic societies”.
• Today’s assembly provides a timely platform for furthering cooperation among democracies. 
• India would be happy to share its expertise in holding free and fair elections, and in enhancing transparency in all areas of governance through innovative digital solutions. 
• Cryptocurrencies have come under increased scrutiny in India, with the government recently unveiling plans for strict regulation.

He said, "We must also jointly shape global norms for emerging technologies like social media and cryptocurrencies, so that they are used to empower democracy, not to undermine it.”

• It is important that all democratic nations work together on this and ensure it does not end up in the wrong hands, which can spoil our youth.
• Stating that elected republican city-states such as Licchavi and Shakya flourished in India as far as 2,500 years back, Modi said: “This very democratic spirit and ethos had made ancient India one of the most prosperous.
• “Centuries of colonial rule could not suppress the democratic spirit of the Indian people. It again found full expression with India’s independence, and led to an unparalleled story in democratic nation-building over the last 75 years.”

At last, It is a story of unprecedented socio-economic inclusion in all spheres. 

• It is a story of constant improvements in health, education, and human well-being at an unimaginable scale. 
• The India story has one clear message to the world. That democracy can deliver, that democracy has delivered, and that democracy will continue to deliver.

About Democracy

• Democracy is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.
• The term ‘democracy’ comes from the Greek word demokratia which means “rule of the people”.
• It was coined from two words: demos that means“people” and kratos which refers to “power”.
• In a democracy the power rests with the people.

Indian Democracy

• India is recognized for having the largest democracy in the world.
• India achieved the status of being a democratic nation post its independence in 1947.
• The citizens of India were given the right to vote and to elect their leaders.
• Indian Constitution guarantees its citizens the right to vote irrespective of their caste, color, creed, religion, and gender.
• It has five democratic principles – sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, and republic.

In India democracy is of two types
Direct

• It refers to a form of government wherein citizens take part in the administration of the government.
• Government policies are decided by the people themselves.
• Whole community forms legislature.

Indirect

• The representatives elected by the people exercise the supreme power.
• Representatives of the winning party forms government and are a part of legislature.
• This type of democracy is known as representative democracy.

It is of two kinds–parliamentary and presidential.

• The Indian Constitution provides representative parliamentary democracy in which the executive is responsible to the legislature for all its policies and actions.

Role of Citizens in a Democracy
Participation

• In a democratic nation, the citizen’s role is to take part in public life.
• The most common role of a citizen is to exercise its right to vote.
• To exercise this power, a citizen must be aware of the different political parties, their candidates, their propaganda, etc.

Accountability

• Citizens have to make efforts to make the system of democracy responsible and responsive.
• The citizens must make the Parliamentarians, Members of State Legislature, and their representatives in Panchayati Raj and Municipal Institutions accountable for their actions.
• The Right to Information Act, 2005 has been enacted to enable citizens to play their role effectively.

Fulfilling Obligations

• Every citizen should have a realization that they have many more obligations to fulfill other than voting.
• Democracy is a system where citizens have various freedoms but never absolute.
• It is based on the principle of “with rights comes obligations.”

Challenges of Indian Democracy
1. Illiteracy

• Illiteracy has been a challenge because both the education level of people and the socio-economic development of a nation play a vital role in a democratic nation.
• At the time of independence, the literacy rate of India was almost dismal, and the female literacy rate was negligible.
• Due to these conditions, citizens were not be able to play their part effectively and exercise their right to vote meaningfully.

2. Poverty

• India inherited the state of poverty since the colonial rule of the Britishers.
• Till date, some people live below the poverty line in the country.
• Poverty in India still exists because of various reasons such as unemployment and under-employment.

3. Gender Discrimination

• Although gender equality is a basic principle of democracy in India, it still exists on every small step.
• The Constitution guarantees equal treatment to all citizens, irrespective of their gender.
• It guarantees the Fundamental Rights, as well as Directive Principles of State Policy.

4. Communalism

• Communalism is an ideology which states that society is divided into religious communities whose interests differ and at times even opposed to each other.
• Communalism is a setback to the Indian democracy as it acts as an offense to secularism.

5. Regionalism

• India is a nation with diversities of religions, languages, tribes, cultures, and communities.
• Due to such diversities, imbalances occur in the development process and lead to regional disparities, the democracy of the country is suffering.

6. Corruption

• Corruption is a major problem in India as it has its roots in every field be it land, health, education, property, industry, agriculture etc.
• It exists at all levels of politics, bureaucracy, government, and corporate.

7. Casteism

• Casteism is a differentiation made between individuals based on birth.
• In India, the caste system originated on the arrival of Aryans and continues in some parts of the country.
• The system brought practices like untouchability which continues despite being banned.
• Due to this system, the lower caste people even today are deprived of basic education, social benefits, etc.

8. Political Violence

• Violence is of various forms namely, communal, caste, political, etc.
• Whenever a political party loses elections, its party members begin engaging themselves in violence.
• It is a threat to the democracy as it leads to aggressive competition for political power and the victim is always the general public.