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Lok Surveys

Round 2: The findings of a new survey on the aspirations and anxieties of ordinary Indians have been released in The Hindu in a four-part series published between December 2014 and February 2015. The survey is the latest round of a multi-year panel study sponsored by the Lok Foundation and carried out in collaboration with CASI, in conjunction with the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace. These surveys aim to track the attitudes of Indians over the next several years, as part of a significant new effort to understand the social and political reconfigurations taking place across India today. Read the findings below:

February 27, 2015, Unsafe After Sunset
Milan Vaishnav & Neelanjan Sircar

January 26, 2015, The Love for Sons and Appropriate Attire
Devesh Kapur & Megan Reed

January 10, 2015, Choosing Thy Neighbour
Neelanjan Sircar & Megan Reed

December 9, 2014, Being Middle Class in India
Devesh Kapur & Milan Vaishnav


Round 1: The first survey was conducted between October and December 2013 in advance of India’s 2014 Lok Sabha election.
The “Lok 2014 Pre-election Survey” aimed to uncover the ways in which voters’ attitudes may be changing and the ramifications that has for political preferences. The next two modules of the survey will address Indians’ aspirations and anxieties for their nation’s future and revisit households for post-election reflections. Future modules of the Lok Survey will look at issues such as civic citizenship and social capital, economic reform, engagement with the world and corruption.

Follow the project and read the findings at CASI’s blog indiaintransition.com.

Read more about the Lok 2014 Pre-election Survey’s statewise projected vote shares and methodology.

CASI will gradually be releasing the findings from the pre-election survey over the month of March through the blog and a four part series with The Times of India. Read the Times of India pieces below.

March 30, 2014, Enter Caste-Plus Politics
Rajiv Lall

March 23, 2014, All in the Surname
Devesh Kapur, Neelanjan Sircar & Milan Vaishnav

March 16, 2014, Growth is No. 1 Poll Issue for Voters, Survey Shows
Devesh Kapur, Neelanjan Sircar & Milan Vaishnav

March 9, 2014, NDA Makes Gains with Urban, OBC Voters
Devesh Kapur, Neelanjan Sircar & Milan Vaishnav  

In addition to these special columns, the project has also received media attention from various other outlets:

"2009 Vote Share May be Reversed in 2014," Rukmini S. & Sowmiya Ashok. The Hindu. March 12, 2014
"NDA to Topple UPA in Lok Sabha Elections, Predicts Another Survey," Liz Mathew. Livemint. March 12, 2014
"Indian Election: Survey Shatters 5 Big Election Myths," Victor Mallet. Financial Times. March 12, 2014
"Economy Tops Voters’ Minds, Caste Takes a Backseat," The Indian Express. March 13, 2014
"NDA Makes Gains as Economy Tops Voters' Minds: Survey," Business Standard. March 13, 2014
"Political Capital: Myth that India's Muslims Vote Differently" (video featuring Milan Vaishnav)
"The Continuing Grip of Caste," Rukmini S. The Hindu. March 16, 2014