Congratulations!
All India UPSC Essay Competition
Udayan Singh
All India Rank – Ist
Prize: Rs. 7000 & CL Course worth Rs. 10k.
- UPSC attempt given before: No, planning to give in 2021
- Pre-Qualified- No
- Main Qualified- No
- Final Selected- No
- Graduation - BSc. (H) Zoology
- College: Amity University, Noida
Globalization & its impact on Democracy
The first black pastor from South Africa, the Reverend Desmond Tutu had once opined that "The world must strive for global democracy, in which not only the rich and the powerful have a say, but which treats everyone with dignity and compassion." Globalization as a concept was always in existence, it is as old as the great civilizations of Indus Valley and Mesopotamia.
In the past half a century, it has made its greatest stride thanks to better technological development and associated advancements. It has permeated into every aspect of society be it media, family, economy, or politics. But it has perhaps left its deepest mark on the concept and notion of democracy.
The positives:
When the last secretary-general of the U.S.S.R accepted the force of globalization and introduced the concept of 'Perestroika' and 'glasnost' he never expected them to be so potent that it would lead to the collapse of the world's biggest security state. In many nations across the globe, globalization has acted as a potent catalyst for democratization. Even states like Cuba and North Korea have to bow down before its force and inculcate the globalists' agenda into their society, in some way or another.
Globalization has led to massive improvements in already democratic states, as well. It has helped in making the governments more accountable and the voter more informed. It has been a force in making the concept of human rights as standard across the world. Many genocides, violations, and illegal authoritarian ways have been exposed and brought in front of the public view, thanks to globalization.
State-sponsored excesses in countries like China, Pakistan, and Syria are no more hidden. Violations earlier brushed under the carpet are no longer a thing of mystery and speculation.
The negatives:
Simply put globalization does not always translate to democracy. Take for example Taiwan and Singapore, both these countries have embraced globalization since the very beginning but have continued to remain semi-authoritarian in nature for the major part of their independent history. Globalization of media has led to the birth of many sensationalist media houses, which play the role of inducing anxiety and fear in the minds of the gullible voters. It has given birth to the concept of fake news, a concept now widely popular among the public.
Globalisation in the Indian context:
Many intellectuals including Indian origin British economist Lord Meghnand Desai are of the opinion that the globalisation has helped refine and better Indian democracy.Thanks to Globalization the Indian public is now much more aware and is holding the government accountable in a more aggressive and efficient manner.
Just like any concept Globalization has its pros and cons. On one hand it has helped in uplifting a large section of vulnerable population but has also created many problems. It is on us to take the benefits while rejecting the negatives.