India, Aug. 11 -- As misinformation and policy complexity grow, India must explore ways to strengthen civic awareness while preserving the constitutional promise of universal suffrage

India's democracy is founded upon one of the boldest experiments in political equality ever undertaken. At the moment of Independence, despite widespread poverty and low literacy levels, the framers of the Constitution chose to place their faith in the judgment of ordinary citizens. Universal adult franchise transformed voting from a privilege into a right and ensured that every citizen, irrespective of caste, religion, gender, wealth, or educational attainment, possessed an equal voice in shaping the nation's future.

Yet, as democracies across the world g...