📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / World Economic Forum on Flickr / Eric Miller
Politics
Sam Pitroda warns that India’s democratic institutions have been captured
✍️ National Herald
🗓 28 Aug 2026, 04:38 PM
👁 3
Veteran technocrat Sam Pitroda told the National Herald that India’s democratic institutions are now under capture, raising concerns about governance.
Sam Pitroda, former advisor to the Prime Minister and a key figure in India’s telecom revolution, made a stark observation about the state of the nation’s democratic framework.
Speaking to the National Herald, Pitroda said that the country’s democratic institutions have been “captured,” implying that they are no longer functioning independently of political influence.
He warned that such a development could erode public trust and weaken the checks and balances that underpin India’s constitutional order.
The remark comes amid ongoing debates over institutional autonomy and the role of the bureaucracy in policy making, though Pitroda did not cite specific incidents.
Analysts say the statement may spark further discussion about safeguarding democratic norms, but no official response has been recorded yet.
Speaking to the National Herald, Pitroda said that the country’s democratic institutions have been “captured,” implying that they are no longer functioning independently of political influence.
He warned that such a development could erode public trust and weaken the checks and balances that underpin India’s constitutional order.
The remark comes amid ongoing debates over institutional autonomy and the role of the bureaucracy in policy making, though Pitroda did not cite specific incidents.
Analysts say the statement may spark further discussion about safeguarding democratic norms, but no official response has been recorded yet.