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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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
