The 2017 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows an increase in the number of countries where the media freedom situation is very grave and highlights the scale and variety of the obstacles to media freedom throughout the world.

Out of 180 countries analysed India ranked 136 in the 2017
India dropped by -3 in Ranking (133 in 2016)
Also India dropped GLOBAL SCORE Index by -0.23 (43.17 in 2016)

Pic : where regulators shell tear gas on school going girls in kashmir

Why India ranked down in ranking and Index:

Threat from Modi’s nationalism is the main reason attributed. With Hindu nationalists trying to purge all manifestations of “anti-national” thought from the national debate, self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media.

Journalists are increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by the most radical nationalists, who vilify them and even threaten physical reprisals.

Pic : where gujarat police beat peaceful lone protestor

Prosecutions are also used to gag journalists who are overly critical of the government, with some prosecutors invoking Section 124a of the penal code, under which “sedition” is punishable by life imprisonment. No journalist has so far been convicted of sedition but the threat encourages self-censorship.

The government has also introduced new foreign funding regulations to limit international influence. Coverage of regions that the authorities regard as sensitive, such as Kashmir, continues to be very difficult, and there are no protective mechanisms. Internet cut in Gujarat when patel caste agitation was going on..

On the first day of a wave of protests in Kashmir in July 2016, the Internet was cut by the military and was often interrupted thereafter to prevent communication between protesters and prevent coverage by the media and citizen journalists.

Journalists working for local media outlets are often the targets of violence by soldiers acting with the central government’s tacit consent.

Selective attack by various TV medias on opposition parties and planted stories in support of ruling parties in print tv online and all form of publication added by vicious campaign against selected parties and the debate shows that often yelling in loud voices in support of ruling parties has bought down India’s ranking and Index of world press freedom.

The report by the Paris-based monitoring group also criticised he US and Britain have both slipped two places in the index to 43rd and 40th. Hungary (ranked 71st) for falling four places, Tanzania (83rd) for falling two slots, Turkey (155th) for slipping four places and Russia for remaining entrenched in the bottom fifth of the index at 148th.

After six years at the top, Finland (ranked third) was replaced by Norway, while at the other end of the index, Eritrea (179th) surrendered the last place to North Korea for the first time since 2007.