Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has questioned the credibility of the Press Freedom ranking of India given by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). As per RSF, India slipped 11 positions from 150th rank in 2022 to 161st rank in 2023 While hearing the Bilkis Bano case in the Supreme Court on May 9, Justice, KM Joseph remarked that India is in the 161st position in the Press Freedom ranking. SG Mehta countered it by saying, “Depends on the person giving the ranking, I can also have someone give the number one ranking to India…so it totally depends.”
India ranks 161st out of 180 countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. The Index evaluates the level of media freedom in each country. Surprisingly, Afghanistan (152), Pakistan (150), and Somalia (141) are far ahead of India.
A previously published Niti Aayog report had also raised doubts on the survey’s accuracy, stating that scores and respondents are undisclosed and questions biased.
