New Delhi, 2 April

India has a vibrant press and media ecosystem which does not need validation from foreign organisations, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said this in a written response to a question from Congress MP K Sudhakaran, who asked about "India’s decline in the Global Press Freedom Index ranking in 2024".

"India has a vibrant press and media ecosystem, which does not need validation from foreign organisations," he said.

In its report published last year, global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked India 159th out of 180 countries based on journalists' ability to work and report freely and independently.

India was ranked below Turkey, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which stood at 158th, 152nd, and 150th positions, respectively.

RSF has consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organisation of the Francophonie.

Asked about steps taken by the government to safeguard press freedom and journalists’ rights, the minister said freedom of speech and expression is protected under Article 19 of the Constitution.

He added that India has a robust judicial system that ensures the enforcement of constitutional provisions.

The minister also said the Press Council of India (PCI), an autonomous statutory body set up under the Press Council Act, 1978, and headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, adjudicates complaints from journalists about curbs on press freedom, physical assaults and attacks on journalists.

Under Section 13 of the Press Council Act, 1978, the PCI can also take suo motu cognisance of urgent issues related to press freedom and maintaining journalistic standards.

Similarly, he said press freedom in electronic media is ensured through a self-regulatory mechanism under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.