India has ranked 159th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, falling behind neighbouring Pakistan which ranked 152nd, posing a threat to the the world’s largest democracy.
‘Press freedom in crisis’
In its analysis, the organisation that publishes the annual index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), mentioned that “press freedom is in crisis in ‘the world’s largest democracy’,” referring to India under the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014.
RSF’s analysis also mentioned that India’s media has fallen into an “unofficial state of emergency” citing an example of “Reliance Industries group’s managed by Mukesh Ambani that owns more than 70 media outlets that are followed by at least 800 million Indians.”
‘More draconian laws’
According to the RSF report, India’s ranking is lower than Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and is “unworthy of a democracy”. The organisation cited India’s adoption of “more draconian laws” as a key factor behind the country’s poor performance.
‘Clampdown in Kashmir’
The analysis suggests the government of India (GOI) has been increasingly clamping down on press freedoms, making it harder for journalists to operate freely.
RSF’s analysis added “The situation also remains very worrisome in Kashmir, where reporters are often harassed by police and paramilitaries, with some being subjected to so-called “provisional” detention for several years”.
As elections 2024 are underway in India, there are fears that the shrinking space for media freedom could undermine the integrity of the democratic process. The critics have flagged concern about the decline in press freedom as press freedom is a crucial pillar of a healthy democratic system.
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