India ranks 151 in World Press Freedom Index 2025; Report raises alarm over media monopoly
New Delhi: India has been ranked 151 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2025, released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Friday. While the position reflects a marginal improvement from 159 in 2024 and 161 in 2023, India remains in the “very serious” category for press freedom.
The global media watchdog highlighted growing concerns over the concentration of media ownership in India, stating that political influence over news outlets continues to threaten media plurality. RSF also noted that, for the first time, global press freedom is broadly classified as being in a “difficult situation,” with economic pressures emerging as a major contributing factor.
Among its South Asian neighbours, India ranks below Nepal (90), the Maldives (104), Sri Lanka (139), and Bangladesh (149), but fares better than Bhutan (152), Pakistan (158), Myanmar (169), Afghanistan (175), and China (178). Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands top the list.
The index evaluates press freedom based on five criteria: political, economic, legislative, social, and security.
Reporters Without Borders’ Editorial Director Anne Bocandé stated that there is no free press without economic independence. “When news media are financially strained, they are drawn into a race to attract audiences at the expense of quality reporting, and can fall prey to the oligarchs and public authorities who seek to exploit them,” said Bocandé.
The report also shed light on alarming press conditions in conflict zones. In Palestine, ranked 163, RSF described the situation as “disastrous,” citing the destruction of newsrooms and the killing of nearly 200 journalists in Gaza. In Haiti (ranked 112), political instability has severely disrupted media operations.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
