Press Freedom Methodology in Question, Says Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticized the methodology used by organizations evaluating global press freedom, calling it questionable and unreliable. He highlighted India's flourishing press environment, pointing to a significant increase in registered periodicals and private satellite TV channels in the past decade.

The methodology used by organizations attempting to evaluate global press freedom is questionable and unreliable, according to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw expressed concerns about the small sample sizes and lack of understanding of India's vibrant democracy employed by these organizations.

An international organization recently ranked India 159th out of 180 nations in the 2024 press freedom index. Vaishnaw emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring the right to freedom of speech and expression, as outlined in Article 19 of the Constitution of India.

Highlighting India's flourishing press environment, Vaishnaw noted that the number of registered periodicals has increased by 43.9% since 2014-15, and the number of private satellite TV channels has also gone up, including 393 news channels.