Challenges and the road ahead

India's election system is celebrated as the world's largest democratic exercise. The chapter ends by saying plainly that it still has problems.

Three are named:

• the growing influence of money in elections;
• a large number of candidates with criminal records;
• voter apathy (not bothering to vote), especially in cities.

That last one links to a number from earlier: about 34 per cent of eligible voters did not vote in 2024.

Now look at the solution the chapter suggests, because it is not what you might expect.

It does not name a new law, a new machine, or a new rule. It names information: "the way forward lies in empowering voters with the information they need to make thoughtful and responsible choices."

Media, education and awareness campaigns must work together to help people, especially the young, understand why voting wisely matters.

The reason is one sentence: "An aware and vigilant voter is the strongest safeguard of a democratic system."

And it ends where the responsibility really sits: "It starts with asking the right questions — and ends with casting a responsible vote." The right to vote, the chapter insists, is a responsibility too.