India mulls own version of democracy, freedom indices by ‘independent’ think tank A letter to the MEA suggested India should counter reports such as the report from the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute and the Press Freedom Index by defining its own parameters on democracy. By Sruthi Vibhavari| Updated: 17th March 2021 2:38 pm IST New Delhi: Weeks after reports by Freedom House and V-Dem Institute downgraded India’s democratic rankings, the ministry of external affairs is now mulling a “world democracy report” as well as a “global press freedom index” to be brought out by an independent Indian think tank, reports said. “We may encourage one of the Indian independent think tanks to bring out its own annual world democracy report based on comprehensive parameters as well as an annual global freedom of press index,”