Impact of the Trade Liberalization on the Quality of Democracy : India

INDIA is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of population, which is very diverse considering the different religions and cultural regionalisms. Since the 1990s, the country has been going through major changes, when the Government opened the market to the world. If in one hand poverty is still a problem in India, on the other hand the country has a considerable number of emerging and well-educated middle class. Furthermore, a great number of foreign investments after the trade liberalization in India brought economic development to the country; therefore, improving the social living standards. However, as India is a very diverse country, it was necessary to examine how the democracy had been affected by the influence of international standards that were introduced to the country, observing the cultural and religious aspects of the society. The importance of an efficient democratic system is key for a country as India, with a diverse population. This book addresses issues that are broadly discussed by the United Nations, such as rule of law, accountability and transparency, responsiveness, freedom of rights, and equality.