The Centre informed Parliament on Thursday that it disagrees with the conclusions of the World Press Freedom Index 2022, which ranked India at 150 out of 180 countries. The report by “Reporters Without Borders” described India as one of the most dangerous countries for the media, citing various forms of physical violence faced by journalists.
In a written reply, Information and Broadcasting Minister stated that the government disagrees with the organization’s conclusions due to reasons such as a low sample size, lack of emphasis on democratic fundamentals, and questionable methodology. The report also mentioned online attacks by supporters of Hindutva ideology.
The Minister addressed questions from the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and AAP member Sanjay Singh. He reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding freedom of speech as per Article 19 of the Constitution.
Despite public statements, the Centre has implemented measures to address falling rankings in global indices like the Press Freedom Index. The Ministry of Finance drafted a strategy in 2020 to counter negative commentary from global entities, with a focus on subjective factors affecting India’s sovereign ratings.
Following this, the government began monitoring global indices through Niti Aayog and conducted a workshop to assess India’s performance across various global indices. The law ministry also initiated a process to review parameters used in rankings by organizations like the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Minister Thakur highlighted the role of the Press Council of India in preserving press freedom and addressing complaints related to the same. He also mentioned that the National Crime Records Bureau does not track attacks on journalists separately.
Overall, the government is taking steps to address concerns raised by global indices and ensure the protection of press freedom in the country.
