World Press Freedom Index: India slips 11 positions, govt raises doubts

In a report released by Reporters Without Borders, an organisationthat assesses the conditions for journalism worldwide, it was found that press freedom in India has deteriorated from "problematic" to "very bad," with the nationfalling 11 positionsin the World Press Freedom Index.

In three countries—Tajikistan, India, and Turkey—the situation has deteriorated from "problematic" to "very bad," according to the report, which expressed worry. Tajikistan dropped one spot to 153, India fell 11 spots to 161 compared to 150 in 2022, and Turkey dropped 16 spots to 165.

“The situation has gone from ‘problematic’ to ‘very bad’ in three countries: Tajikistan (down by one at 153rd), India (down by 11 at 161st) and Turkey (down by 16 at 165th),” the report said.

Information and BroadcastingMinister Anurag Thakur stated in a written response to a question in Parliament in March that the Indian government disagrees with the World Press Freedom Index's country rankings, according to the Hindustan Times.

The administration, he continued, also disagrees with the conclusions drawn by the index due to the index's small sample size, lack of or little weight given to democratic principles, and questionable methodology.

The relative rankings of some nations, such as Afghanistan coming in at 152nd and Pakistan moving up seven spots to 150, raised some concerns about the approach.

After hearing of the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Congressman Shashi Tharoor tweeted.

“Time for all of us to hang our heads in shame: India slips in World Press Freedom Index, ranks 161 out of 180 countries, Tharoor tweeted

Raising concern over India's dropin the index, media associations - The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India, and the Press Association,released a joint statement.

"The indices of press freedom have worsened in several countries, including India, according to the latest RSF report," the joint statement said.

"For developing democracies in the Global South where deep pockets of inequities exist, the media's role cannot be understated. Likewise, the constraints on press freedom due to hostile working conditions like contractorization have to also be challenged. Insecure working conditions can never contribute to a free press," the statement added.

Concerns regarding oligarchs acquiring media companies were also voiced by Reporters Without Borders. According to the study, "The other phenomenon that dangerously restricts the free flow of information is the acquisition of media outlets by oligarchs who maintain close ties with political leaders."

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