Questionable & Non-Transparent Methodology: India Rejects World Press Freedom Index 2022 Findings

Image Credit- Unsplash, Twitter/ Anurag Thakur

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'Questionable & Non-Transparent Methodology': India Rejects World Press Freedom Index 2022 Findings

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Anurag Thakur, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said the government did not agree with the findings drawn by the organisation for varied reasons.

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The central government, on July 21, informed the Parliament that it does not comply with the conclusions drawn by the 'Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) in the World Press Freedom Index that ranked India 150th among 180 nations.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Anurag Thakur, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said the government did not agree with the findings drawn by the organisation for varied reasons.

It included "very low sample size, adoption of a methodology which is questionable and non-transparent, little or no weightage to fundamentals of democracy," reported NDTV.

The minister was responding to separate questions that were laid in the upper house by Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition and Sanjay Singh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member.

Thakur said the government was committed to ensuring the right to freedom of speech and expression consecrated under Article 19 of the Constitution.

Role Of Press Council Of India

The Minister for Information and Broadcasting said the Press Council of India (PCI) had been formed under the Press Council Act, 1978, primarily to preserve the freedom of the press and enhance the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India.

He said the PCI checks into the complaints filed 'by the Press' regarding curtailment of press freedom. He added that the PCI was also empowered to take suo moto cognisance of the pressing issues concerning freedom of the press and safeguarding its high standards.

In reply to Kharge's question on the arrest of journalists, Thakur said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain data separately on attacks on journalists.

India Ranks 150 On World Press Freedom Index

Every year, RSF announces a global ranking for the Press Freedom Index and this year, in May, they released the 20th World Press Freedom Index. It assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories and for 2022 ranked India at 150 position from last year's 142nd rank among 180 nations.

Also Read: No Cases Of Forced Child Labour During COVID-19-Induced Lockdown, Says Smriti Irani In Rajya Sabha

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