The August 2026 poll, conducted by C-Voter, found 46.7 per cent believed democracy was in danger, while 41.6 per cent disagreed. In January, 46 per cent had said democracy was not in danger, compared with 44.7 per cent who thought it was, making the latest shift notable even though similar anxiety has appeared in earlier editions.
The findings form part of a broader pattern of unease, particularly among younger respondents, over jobs, examinations, fairness and the functioning of institutions. The poll considered the views of 116,644 people, combining 25,184 interviews conducted between July 1 and August 25 with 91,795 interviews from C-Voter’s regular tracking over the preceding 24 weeks.
Confidence in the fairness of elections also weakened. The share saying elections were free and fair fell to 51.9 per cent, from 56.5 per cent in January and 64.4 per cent in August 2025. Those saying elections were not free and fair rose to 40.9 per cent from 31.7 per cent a year earlier.
The survey showed a mixed picture on the Election Commission. Some 43.3 per cent said their trust in the poll body had increased, against 38 per cent who said it had declined. A majority of 60.2 per cent also backed the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls as necessary to remove bogus or duplicate voters.
Perceptions about the use of investigative agencies shifted more sharply. Some 43.8 per cent said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government misused agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax Department. In January, that figure was 41.1 per cent, while 47.7 per cent had said governments of all parties misused such agencies.
The survey found 54.1 per cent felt free to express views on politics and religion, compared with 57.3 per cent in January.
The wider political findings pointed to pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s standing without indicating an immediate threat to the National Democratic Alliance government. The BJP was projected at 261 Lok Sabha seats if elections were held, 26 fewer than the January projection of 287 and 11 short of a majority on its own. The NDA was projected to retain a majority with 326 seats.
Modi remained the preferred choice for prime minister among 48.7 per cent of respondents, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was backed by 27.1 per cent. However, assessments of Modi’s performance softened. The proportion rating his performance as outstanding fell from 35.6 per cent in January to 30.1 per cent, while the combined good-to-outstanding rating declined from 57 per cent to 51.3 per cent.
Economic concerns were prominent. Fifty-six per cent said the government’s economic policies benefited big business, while only 24 per cent expected their incomes to improve in the near term. Another 64 per cent believed their income prospects would worsen or remain unchanged. Unemployment was identified as the country’s biggest problem, while price rises were cited by 23 per cent as the government’s biggest failure.
The separate Gen Z component found sharper dissatisfaction. Among younger respondents, 53 per cent identified jobs and employment as their most important issue, ahead of education and examination fairness at 22 per cent and inflation at 12 per cent. Forty-six per cent said the country was moving in the wrong direction.
Confidence in recruitment and entrance examinations was particularly weak among the young. Sixty-seven per cent said they had little or no confidence in the fairness of such examinations, including 40 per cent who expressed no trust at all. Only 14 per cent said they were confident in recruitment tests.
