India's Ashoka University distances itself from disputed paper that questioned integrity of India's elections

The political uproar over a non-peer reviewed research paper by a faculty member of India's Ashoka University took a turnaround after the university distanced itself from the paper. The research paper that questioned the integrity of India's election process 'has not yet completed a critical review process and has not been published in an academic journal', said the privately-owned university located outside Delhi in the northern town of Sonipat in Haryana state.

What did the paper say?

The research paper by Sabyasachi Das, an assistant professor of economics at the university, claimed 'targeted electoral discrimination' in India's election process in recent years.

"I compile several new datasets and present evidence that is consistent with electoral manipulation in closely contested constituencies and is less supportive of the precise control hypothesis," the abstract of the 50-page research paper said.

"Manipulation appears to take the form of targeted electoral discrimination against India's largest minority group - Muslims, partly facilitated by weak monitoring by election observers. The results present a worrying development for the future of democracy."

The research paper, titled 'Democratic Backsliding in the World’s Largest Democracy', made overarching claims by citing narrow-margin wins by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as a pattern of discontinuity.

The BJP, "due to its superior electoral machine, was able to precisely predict and affect win margins," it claimed.

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"In view of the depletion of trust in electoral processes across the globe and the exceptional integrity of India’s electoral institution in its past, the paper presents a worrying development with potentially far-reaching consequences for the world’s largest democracy," the paper said.

Political uproar

The research paper triggered a political debate in New Delhi with leaders from India's principal opposition party Congress and the rulingBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) throwing in their weight.

Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor said the research paper's findings were "hugely troubling". "If the Election Commission and/or the Government of India have answers available to refute these arguments, they should provide them in detail. The evidence presented does not lend itself to political attacks on a serious scholar. E.g. the discrepancy in vote tallies needs to be explained, since it can't be wished away," Tharoor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey termed the research paper "half-baked".

"It is fine to differ with the BJP on matters of policy, but this is taking it too far. How can someone in the name of half-baked research discredit India’s vibrant poll process? How can any university allow it? Answers needed -- this is not good enough a response," Dubey said.

Ashoka University's clarification

After the paper led to a political uproar, Ashoka University came out to distance itself from it.

"Ashoka University is dismayed by the speculation and debate around a recent paper by one of its faculty members and the university's position on its contents," it said in a statement.

"As a matter of record, Ashoka University is focused on excellence in teaching and research across multiple disciplines, with a vision to build India's finest university, create social impact and contribute to nation-building. The University encourages its 160-plus faculty to carry out research, but does not direct or approve specific research projects by individual faculty members. Ashoka values research that is critically peer-reviewed and published in reputed journals," the statement read.

"Social media activity or public activism by Ashoka faculty, students or staff in their individual capacity does not reflect the stand of the University," it added.

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