NEW DELHI - In a devastating indictment of the Modi government's authoritarian slide, India has fallen to 157th place on the World Press Freedom Index 2026, trailing behind arch-rival Pakistan (153rd), Bangladesh (152nd), and even Palestine (156th), according to the latest report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The index, which ranks 180 countries, has exposed India's deteriorating media environment as one of the worst in the world. India now sits just 23 places above the bottom-ranked nation, Eritrea, and has been explicitly named among countries where the legal conditions for journalism have worsened most severely.
The 2026 World Press Freedom Index released on April 30 delivers a humiliating verdict on India's claims of being the world's largest democracy:
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 151 | Cambodia |
| 152 | Bangladesh |
| 153 | Pakistan |
| 154 | Laos |
| 155 | Tajikistan |
| 156 | Palestine |
| 157 | INDIA |
| 158 | ... |
| 180 | Eritrea (last) |
Last year, India was ranked 151st, marginally ahead of Palestine (163rd). In just one year, India has plummeted six places while Palestine surged ahead by seven places. Pakistan remains ahead of India - a position Islamabad has consistently maintained, reflecting the relatively greater press freedoms enjoyed by Pakistani journalists compared to their Indian counterparts.
The RSF report explicitly names India among the countries where the legal environment for journalism has suffered the sharpest collapse. According to the index, the legal indicator - which measures legislative and judicial environments for journalists - has deteriorated in more than 60 percent of countries this year, and India is highlighted as a primary offender.
RSF describes the global criminalization of journalism as a phenomenon rooted in the misuse of:
National security laws
Emergency legislation
Common law provisions
India, under the Modi government, has become a master practitioner of this trend. Journalists critical of the government face:
Arrest under draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)
Raids by the Enforcement Directorate
Intimidation by police and intelligence agencies
Kill switches on their social media accounts
Physical attacks by ruling party loyalists
In contrast, Pakistan - despite its own challenges - has maintained relatively greater space for journalistic expression, with a vibrant and often fiercely critical media environment that routinely questions both civilian and military leadership.
India's decline is visible across all five indicators tracked by RSF:
Economic environment - Media ownership concentrated in hands of government-friendly billionaires
Legal environment - Laws weaponized against critical journalists
Political environment - Government pressure on media outlets
Social environment - Self-censorship due to fear of retaliation
Security environment - Physical attacks on journalists
The RSF report notes that the criminalization of journalism "has become a global phenomenon," with national security laws being routinely misused to silence dissent - and India has emerged as a leading practitioner.
The World Press Freedom Index evaluates the environment for journalism in 180 countries based on:
Pluralism - Diversity of media outlets and viewpoints
Media independence - Freedom from government and commercial pressure
Self-censorship - Journalists' fear of reporting certain topics
Legislative framework - Laws protecting or restricting press freedom
Transparency - Government openness to media scrutiny
Infrastructure - Resources available to journalists
Abuses - Violence, intimidation, or detention of journalists
India's ranking reflects systemic failures across all these categories.
RSF has described this year's index as the bleakest since it started publishing 25 years ago. More than half the world's countries fall under the "difficult" or "very serious" categories for press freedom.
Key global findings:
Norway retains the top spot for the 10th consecutive year
Eritrea holds the last spot for the third consecutive year
United States under Donald Trump dropped seven places to 64th - pushed down by policies of attacking the press, detentions and deportation of journalists, and dismantling of the US Agency for Global Media
Syria jumped 36 places to 141st following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship - meaning press freedom improved after the regime change
The ranking exposes the hollowness of India's claims to be a vibrant democracy. While the Modi government lectures other nations on human rights, its own record on press freedom is abysmal.
Contrast with Pakistan:
| Indicator | Pakistan | India |
|---|---|---|
| Press Freedom Rank (2026) | 153 | 157 |
| Trend | Stable | Rapidly declining |
| Journalists imprisoned | Fewer per capita | Rising |
| Legal harassment | Present | Systemic |
| Self-censorship | Moderate | Severe |
Contrast with Bangladesh:
Bangladesh, often criticized for its own press freedom challenges, nonetheless ranks ahead of India. Dhaka has maintained relative stability in its media environment while India's has collapsed.
Contrast with Palestine:
Perhaps the most humiliating comparison - Palestine, a territory under military occupation and facing active conflict, ranks ahead of India in press freedom. Despite Israeli restrictions on Palestinian media, journalists in the West Bank and Gaza still enjoy greater relative freedom than Indian journalists under the Modi government.
The 157th ranking translates into a dangerous environment for Indian journalists:
Arbitrary arrests using national security laws (UAPA, sedition)
Police raids on media offices and journalists' homes
Digital surveillance and hacking of journalists' devices
Economic pressure through tax raids and advertiser boycotts
Physical attacks by ruling party supporters with impunity
Kill switches on social media accounts of critical voices
The RSF report's specific mention of India as a country where the legal environment has "worsened most severely" confirms what journalists have been saying for years: the Modi government is systematically dismantling press freedom.
The international community has taken notice. The European Union, United Nations, and various press freedom organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over India's deteriorating media environment.
A UN Special Rapporteur recently noted that India's use of national security laws against journalists violates international human rights standards.
However, as long as India is viewed as a strategic counterweight to China, Western governments have largely looked the other way - a diplomatic double standard that emboldens the Modi government's authoritarian instincts.
Pakistan, despite its own challenges, has maintained a relatively vibrant media environment. Pakistani journalists regularly:
Criticize both civilian and military leadership
Investigate corruption at the highest levels
Report on sensitive national security issues
Host talk shows featuring opposition voices
While Pakistan is not a model of press freedom - ranking 153rd indicates significant room for improvement - its consistent position ahead of India on the index reflects a media environment that has not suffered the same rapid deterioration as India's.
India's fall to 157th place on the World Press Freedom Index - behind Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Palestine - has stripped away any remaining pretense that India under Modi is a vibrant democracy protecting fundamental rights.
The RSF report documents what journalists have known for years: the Modi government weaponizes laws, intimidates critics, and systematically dismantles media freedom.
While India's ranking of 157th is a stain on its democratic credentials, the real tragedy is the human cost - journalists imprisoned, lives destroyed, and a public deprived of the information they need to hold power accountable.
For Pakistan, the index confirms what Islamabad has long argued: that India's claims to democratic virtue are hollow, and that Pakistan - despite its own challenges - remains a more open society for journalistic expression than its eastern neighbor.
