New Delhi: In response to a parliament question about the decline in India’s press freedom rankings and cases of violence and intimidation of journalists, the Union government has stated that “India has a vibrant press and media ecosystem, which does not need validation from foreign organisations.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in Rajya Sabha Manoj Kumar Jha had asked the Minister for Information and Broadcasting whether the government has undertaken any review to assess the decline in India’s press freedom rankings and the reported rise in intimidation, legal harassment and violence against journalists in recent years.
“Whether any steps have been taken to strengthen institutional mechanisms like the Press Council of India to protect press freedom from political interference; and the measures being planned to ensure that journalists can work without fear or pressure from government or political actors?” Jha had asked in an unstarred question.
Instead of replying to Jha’s specific question about the steps taken by the government to assess the decline in India’s press rankings, minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L. Murugan in his response stated about the existing legal framework to protect journalists and details of the number of publications in India.
“India has a vibrant press and media ecosystem, which does not need validation from foreign organisations. India has about 1,54,000 printed publications, more than 900 private satellite TV channels and numerous publishers on digital media including OTT platforms, e-replica of newspapers, digital newspapers, news websites and news channels on social media platforms etc. India has constitutional guarantees like Article 19 (1)(a), which protects freedom of speech and expression,” said Murugan in response to Jha’s question.
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