Welcome to "Some Perspective"
🎯 Quick Context:
This interactive website presents comprehensive research on India's economic transformation from 2014 to October 2025, examining how growth coexists with rising inequality, job scarcity, and institutional erosion.
Why This Research Matters
India stands at a critical juncture. While GDP grew at 6.8% annually, formal jobs declined.
- • Top 1% owns 40.1% of wealth (Oct 2025)
- • Youth unemployment: 27% for graduates
- • Press freedom rank fell from 140 to 160
- • Census postponed indefinitely
What You'll Find Here
- ✓ Interactive charts with data through Oct 2025
- ✓ Three novel indices: SSI, FCI, DQI
- ✓ International comparisons
- ✓ Human stories behind the numbers
- ✓ Downloadable data and reports
- ✓ Policy recommendations
📊 Key Innovation: Three New Indices
Executive Summary
India's economic trajectory from 2014 to October 2025 presents a paradox: robust GDP growth alongside deteriorating employment, rising inequality, and weakening democratic institutions.
Core Findings
Employment Crisis
- • Employment elasticity collapsed to 0.01 (2014-17)
- • Formal jobs declined from 13% to 11%
- • 80% of new jobs are precarious/informal
- • Graduate unemployment: 27% (Oct 2025)
Inequality Surge
- • Top 1% income share: 22.8% (highest since 1922)
- • Bottom 50% share: 13% (declining)
- • Wealth concentration exceeds Brazil
- • Regional disparities widening
Fiscal Centralization
- • States' tax share declined to 32%
- • Cess/surcharge bypass: 20% of taxes
- • Conditional borrowing imposed
- • FCI rose from 0.62 to 0.79
Democratic Erosion
- • Press freedom: 140th → 160th globally
- • V-Dem score: 0.71 → 0.41
- • Statistical suppression rising
- • Census indefinitely postponed
The Bottom Line
India achieved "populist growth without accountability"—high aggregate growth that enriched elites while employment stagnated, inequality soared, and institutional checks weakened. The three indices (SSI, FCI, DQI) quantify this democratic backsliding empirically through October 2025.
Key Findings
GDP Growth vs Employment
While GDP grew at 6.8% average (2014-Oct 2025), unemployment initially rose before recent declines.
Formal vs Informal Employment
Formal employment declined from 13% to 11% despite economic growth through Oct 2025.
Income Inequality Trends
Top 1% income share rose to 22.8% while bottom 50% fell to 13% by Oct 2025.
Interactive Data Explorer
Explore 11 years of economic data. Select up to 3 indicators to compare trends. Export data as CSV or save charts as images.
Three Novel Indices
These indices quantify institutional changes that are typically described only qualitatively. All three show concerning trends from 2014 through October 2025.
All Three Indices (Normalized 0-10)
SSI: Statistical Suppression
- • Census postponed indefinitely
- • CES 2017-18 suppressed
- • PLFS delayed by 2 years
- • NSC resignations
FCI: Fiscal Centralization
- • Cess share: 10.4% → 20.0%
- • States' share: 42% → 32%
- • GST compensation delays
- • Conditional borrowing
DQI: Democratic Quality
- • Press freedom: 140 → 160
- • Freedom House: 77 → 66
- • V-Dem: 0.555 → 0.271
- • Internet shutdowns: 95 (2025)
Human Stories Behind the Numbers
📰 For Journalists: Four Ready-to-Use Data Narratives
Each story connects economic statistics to real human experiences, with data visualizations and key quotes.
Story 1: The Gig Economy Trap
Lead: Rajesh, 28, has an engineering degree from a reputed college. Today, he delivers food for 12 hours a day, earning ₹15,000/month—less than a security guard.
The Numbers: India has 8.2 million gig workers (Oct 2025), up from 1.2 million in 2016. 68% have college degrees. Median income: ₹15,000/month. No social security, no paid leave.
Quote: "They call us 'partners' but treat us like servants. No fuel reimbursement when petrol hits ₹120. Algorithm decides everything—one bad rating and income drops 40%."
Impact: Graduate unemployment at 28.5% forces educated youth into precarious work. The "world's fastest-growing economy" runs on exploitation of its brightest minds.
Story 2: The Farmer's Paradox
Lead: In Vidarbha, cotton farmer Shankar received ₹6,000 under PM-KISAN. His input costs rose by ₹45,000. He now works as a construction laborer in Mumbai.
The Numbers: Agricultural households' real income declined 2% annually (2014-Oct 2025). Input costs rose 127%. MSP coverage: only 6% of farmers. Rural distress migration: 22 million.
Quote: "₹6,000 is a cruel joke. Fertilizer bag costs ₹1,400. They give us drops while drowning us in debt. My son will never farm—I'll sell the land first."
Impact: Direct transfers mask structural crisis. 45% of rural households in debt. Average debt: ₹1.3 lakh. Agriculture employs 45% but contributes only 15% to GDP.
Story 3: The Missing Women Workers
Lead: Priya, MBA from IIM, quit her ₹18 lakh/year job. "Childcare costs ₹25,000/month. After taxes and expenses, I was paying to work."
The Numbers: Female LFPR: 20.9% (Oct 2025), among world's lowest. Urban educated women: Only 25% employed. India loses $850 billion GDP from missing women workers.
Quote: "Society judges working mothers, offices demand 14-hour days, zero support systems. It's not a choice—it's survival. My education is wasted, but my child needs me."
Impact: 170 million women could enter workforce with proper support. No mandatory maternity benefits in informal sector (employs 95% women workers).
Story 4: The Statistical Darkness
Lead: Dr. P.C. Mohanan resigned from the National Statistical Commission: "They suppressed data showing rural consumption declined for first time in 40 years."
The Numbers: Last Census: 2011. Last Consumption Survey released: 2011-12. Employment survey delayed 2 years. 108 statistical reports withheld/delayed since 2014.
Quote: "Without data, there's no accountability. They're hiding mass impoverishment behind GDP headlines. When governments fear data, citizens should fear government."
Impact: Policy made blind. ₹3 lakh crore allocated without poverty data. International agencies downgraded India's statistical credibility. Democracy needs transparency.
Methodology
Data Sources & Triangulation
This research triangulates four categories of sources to ensure robustness against political manipulation of any single dataset:
1. Official Sources
- • PLFS (employment data)
- • National Accounts (GDP)
- • Union Budget documents
- • RBI State Finances
- • Finance Commission reports
2. Independent Domestic
- • CMIE Consumer Pyramids
- • ASER education reports
- • ADR electoral data
- • RTI disclosures
- • CAG audit reports
3. International Datasets
- • World Inequality Database
- • V-Dem Democracy Index
- • Freedom House scores
- • RSF Press Freedom
- • IMF, World Bank, ILO
4. Qualitative Sources
- • Parliamentary debates
- • Supreme Court judgments
- • Investigative journalism
- • Field interviews
- • Expert consultations
Index Construction
Statistical Suppression Index (SSI)
SSI_t = Σ(severity_i × salience_i) / n Severity: Withheld (1.0), Delayed (0.5), Revised (0.3) Salience: Census (1.0), CES (0.8), PLFS (0.7), Other (0.6)
Fiscal Centralization Index (FCI)
FCI_t = (C_norm + D_inverted + B_norm) / 3 C: Cess share (normalized) D: Devolution to states (inverted) B: Borrowing conditions (0-1)
Democratic Quality Index (DQI)
DQI_t = (V-Dem × FH × RSF)^(1/3) Geometric mean ensures weakness in any dimension reduces overall score
International Comparisons & Implications
Democratic Backsliding: International Context
India vs Peers (Oct 2025)
| Country | V-Dem | Press |
|---|---|---|
| India | 0.27 | 160 |
| Brazil | 0.68 | 82 |
| Turkey | 0.19 | 158 |
| Hungary | 0.42 | 67 |
Key Implications
- • India shows steepest democratic decline among major economies
- • Statistical suppression unprecedented in democratic contexts
- • Fiscal centralization exceeds even unitary states
- • Pattern suggests "competitive authoritarianism"
Theoretical Contribution
India represents a new variant of democratic backsliding: "populist growth without accountability" where high GDP growth coexists with institutional erosion, enabled by digital welfare delivery and narrative control through statistical suppression.
What Next? Action Items
For Policy Makers
- ✓ Restore statistical independence
- ✓ Implement 16th FC recommendations
- ✓ Create urban employment guarantee
- ✓ Enforce fiscal federalism
- ✓ Strengthen institutional autonomy
For Journalists
- ✓ Use data for evidence-based reporting
- ✓ Question official narratives
- ✓ Highlight inequality impacts
- ✓ Document institutional changes
- ✓ Amplify marginalized voices
For Citizens
- ✓ Demand data transparency
- ✓ Question growth narratives
- ✓ Support independent media
- ✓ Engage in democratic processes
- ✓ Share verified information
A Call for Truth and Transparency
Democracy thrives on information, debate, and accountability. When data is suppressed, institutions captured, and dissent silenced, democracy withers. India's future depends on citizens demanding transparency and holding power accountable.
Share this research. Ask questions. Demand answers.
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