{"id":45406,"date":"2025-03-19T07:24:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T01:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=45406"},"modified":"2025-05-06T19:55:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:25:57","slug":"indias-ranking-in-global-free-speech-index","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-ranking-in-global-free-speech-index\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Ranking in Global Free Speech Index: Key Insights"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Global Free Speech Index Latest News<\/li>\n<li>India\u2019s Ranking in Free Speech Index<\/li>\n<li>Global Trends in Free Speech<\/li>\n<li>Key Findings About Free Speech in India<\/li>\n<li>Challenges to Free Speech in India<\/li>\n<li>Way Forward<\/li>\n<li>Conclusion<\/li>\n<li>Free Speech in India FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Global Free Speech Index Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A new global survey by The Future of Free Speech, an independent U.S.-based think tank, has ranked India 24th out of the 33 countries surveyed on the question of support for free speech.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>India\u2019s Ranking in Free Speech Index<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A recent global survey by <i><strong>The Future of Free Speech<\/strong><\/i>, a U.S.-based think tank, has ranked India <strong>24th out of 33 surveyed countries<\/strong> in terms of support for free speech.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The report, titled <i>&#8220;Who in the World Supports Free Speech?&#8221;<\/i>, reveals a concerning decline in the global commitment to protecting controversial speech, with India being <strong>an exception where public perception and actual free speech conditions do not align<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Global Trends in Free Speech<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The survey, conducted in <strong>October 2024<\/strong>, found that:\n<ul>\n<li>Scandinavian countries dominate the index, with <strong>Norway<\/strong> (87.9) and <strong>Denmark<\/strong> (87.0) securing the top positions.<\/li>\n<li>Indonesia (56.8), Malaysia (55.4), and Pakistan (57.0) showed the biggest improvements despite being lower in the rankings.<\/li>\n<li>Hungary (85.5) and Venezuela (81.8), despite being authoritarian-leaning, ranked high due to public perception of free speech.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India<\/strong>, with a <strong>score of 62.6<\/strong>, was placed between South Africa (66.9) and Lebanon (61.8).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key Findings About Free Speech in India<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Public Support for Free Expression vs. Reality<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The majority of Indians believe in free speech without government censorship.<\/li>\n<li>However, support for criticizing government policies is lower than the global average.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strong Support for Government Restrictions on Criticism<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>37% of Indian respondents agreed that the government should prevent people from criticizing its policies\u2014the highest among all surveyed countries.<\/li>\n<li>Comparatively, this sentiment was supported by: 5% in the U.K\/ &amp; 3% in Denmark.<\/li>\n<li>This suggests that a significant section of Indians favours restrictions on political speech, reflecting growing support for government control over public discourse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Discrepancy Between Public Perception and International Assessment<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Indians and South Africans felt their ability to speak freely had improved.<\/li>\n<li>However, global rankings indicate a decline in free speech protection in India, highlighting a disconnect between perception and actual conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Position in Democratic Backsliding<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The report identifies India as a country experiencing &#8220;democratic backsliding&#8221;, similar to Hungary and Venezuela.<\/li>\n<li>While free speech laws exist in principle, their enforcement is weak, and restrictions on dissent are increasing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Challenges to Free Speech in India<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Legal and Political Restrictions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s sedition law (Section 124A of the IPC) has been used to suppress political dissent.<\/li>\n<li>Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has been criticized for targeting journalists, activists, and opposition voices.<\/li>\n<li>The IT Rules 2021 give the government broad powers to regulate social media and digital content, leading to censorship concerns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rise in Self-Censorship<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Fear of legal repercussions and online harassment discourages open expression.<\/li>\n<li>Media houses and journalists often face political and economic pressures, leading to biased reporting or avoidance of critical issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Selective Tolerance for Free Speech<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>While free speech is widely supported in principle, it is often opposed when it contradicts political beliefs or religious sentiments.<\/li>\n<li>The arrests of activists, journalists, and stand-up comedians highlight inconsistent application of free speech rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Way Forward<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reaffirming Legal Protections<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Repealing or amending outdated laws like sedition laws and UAPA provisions that suppress dissent.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening judicial oversight to prevent misuse of laws against activists and journalists.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Promoting a Culture of Open Debate<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Educational institutions and media should encourage free discussion on diverse perspectives.<\/li>\n<li>Political parties should commit to respecting free speech rights across ideological lines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhancing Digital and Media Freedom<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Strengthening laws that protect journalists from government pressure and corporate influence.<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring that social media regulations do not lead to arbitrary censorship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aligning Public Perception with Reality<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Raising awareness about constitutional free speech protections.<\/li>\n<li>Encouraging fact-based discussions on government policies and political discourse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s 24th rank in the Free Speech Index highlights a growing concern about the erosion of free expression.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>While Indians believe their right to speech has improved, international assessments indicate declining press freedom, increased censorship, and growing restrictions on dissent.<\/li>\n<li>For a healthy democracy, India must strengthen legal safeguards, promote open dialogue, and ensure that free speech is protected in practice, not just in principle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Free Speech in India FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> Where does India rank in the Global Free Speech Index?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>India ranks 24th out of 33 countries in the latest Free Speech Index.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2. <\/strong>Why is India\u2019s free speech ranking concerning?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>India\u2019s ranking reflects increased government restrictions and declining protection for dissenting voices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3. <\/strong>How does India compare to other countries in supporting criticism of the government?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> 37% of Indians support government restrictions on criticism, the highest among all surveyed nations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> What legal challenges threaten free speech in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Laws like the sedition law, UAPA, and IT Rules 2021 have been used to curtail free expression.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> What reforms are needed to improve free speech in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Reforms should include legal safeguards, stronger media protections, and promoting open political debates.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/india-ranked-24th-out-of-33-countries-in-free-speech-index\/article69345028.ece#:~:text=India%2C%20with%20a%20score%20of,government%20restrictions%20and%20public%20attitudes%E2%80%9D.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India ranks 24th out of 33 countries in the Global Free Speech Index, highlighting concerns about public perception and government restrictions on free expression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-45406","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}