Paris: India ranks 142nd out of 180 countries according to an annual global press freedom index published by Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), or Reporters Without Borders.
‘The World Press Freedom Index 2020’ noted that no journalists were murdered in India in 2019 – compared to six in 2018.
“However, there have been constant press freedom violations, including police violence against journalists, ambushes by political activists, and reprisals instigated by criminal groups or corrupt local officials,” the survey said, adding that India have dropped two places from last year’s list.
Reporters Without Borders is a non-profit organisation that documents and combats attacks on journalists around the world.
Norway has been ranked first in the Index for the fourth straight year. China occupies the 177th position and is just three places above North Korea.
As for other countries in south Asia, Pakistan has gone down three places to 145 and Bangladesh has dropped one rung to 151.