Category: Featured

India has climbed to the 151st position out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, an annual assessment published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a global non-profit that advocates for press freedom and democratic governance. The country showed marginal improvement from its previous rank of 159 in 2024. However, the report raised serious concerns over increasing economic pressure on media worldwide, calling it a major threat to journalistic independence and sustainability. RSF noted that the economic indicator in this year’s index has reached its “lowest point in history,” warning that the global situation for press freedom is now largely “difficult.” The report attributed this downturn to severe funding cuts and the dominance of tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft, who are absorbing much of the advertising revenue that traditionally supported journalistic institutions. The impact of this shift has been global, with 42 countries—home to more than half of the world’s population—now classified under the “very serious” category, where press freedom is nearly non-existent and journalism is fraught with danger. India’s rank in recent years has seen a consistent decline. From ranking 140 in 2019, the country fell to 142 in 2020 and 2021, 150 in 2022, and 161 in 2023. The 2025 improvement, while noteworthy, still places India below several other nations in the region and far from the top performers like Norway, which retained its position at the top of the index. Countries ranked below India include Bhutan, Pakistan, Turkey, Palestine, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Syria, and North Korea—the last of which remains at the bottom of the index. The report highlighted that in India, as in Lebanon (ranked 132), Armenia (34), and Bulgaria (70), media plurality is under threat due to the concentration of media ownership among political and business elites. It stated that many media outlets rely on conditional funding from individuals with vested interests, undermining their independence. Furthermore, the index exposed the dire state of press freedom in autocratic regimes. In countries like China and Vietnam, virtually all media outlets are state-controlled or closely tied to ruling Communist parties. Independent journalism survives through underground freelance work, which is precarious and often conducted under constant threat of state reprisal. Globally, RSF found that in 160 out of 180 countries, media outlets are struggling to achieve financial stability. Economic hardships are forcing news organizations to shut down in nearly a third of the countries surveyed. Even developed nations like the United States (ranked 57), Tunisia (129), and Argentina (87) are not immune. In the U.S., where press freedom indicators declined further under President Donald Trump’s second term, local journalism has suffered significant setbacks. An RSF survey across key U.S. states found that journalists are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a living wage, with economic decline being weaponized to suppress critical media. Overall, the 2025 World Press Freedom Index paints a grim picture of the state of global journalism, highlighting economic fragility as a common denominator behind the erosion of media freedom in democracies and autocracies alike.

Fresh inputs from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) suggest that the terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre may still be hiding in the thick forests of South Kashmir. According to sources cited by NDTV, the attackers are believed to be “self-reliant,” carrying their own supplies, which has enabled them to remain undetected despite an intense and ongoing manhunt by the military and local police. This self-sufficiency, experts say, reduces the need for logistical support—especially from external sources like Pakistan, which India has accused of orchestrating the attack. Initial investigations have revealed that the terrorists had been holed up in the Baisaran Valley, near the popular tourist resort of Pahalgam, for at least 48 hours prior to launching the attack. On April 22, four terrorists executed one of the deadliest terror strikes in India in recent years—since the 2019 Pulwama attack—by opening fire on tourists in Baisaran, killing 26 people. The attackers have remained elusive since then, despite a large-scale joint operation by security forces. NIA, which is now handling the case, has also revealed that Over Ground Workers (OGWs) detained for questioning after the attack admitted to scouting four potential targets: Aru, Betaab, and two other valley locations. These areas were reportedly well-guarded, which led the terrorists to select Baisaran—an area with visibly lighter security presence. This has sparked criticism from opposition parties questioning the apparent lack of military deterrence in the region. The terrorists were reportedly equipped with high-end communication devices that didn’t require SIM cards and could perform short-range encrypted transmissions—making interception nearly impossible. Sources also noted the use of three satellite phones to further mask their positions and mislead Indian forces before the strike. The attack itself was carried out with brutal precision. Three terrorists emerged from hidden spots around Baisaran and opened fire on unsuspecting tourists, while a fourth remained in concealment to provide support if required. Reports indicate the attackers interrogated male victims, forcing them to recite Islamic verses—executing those who failed. Shocking videos shared online showed the aftermath, including blood-soaked women crying for help beside the bodies of their loved ones. One chilling clip captured a terrorist taunting a grieving woman, telling her to “go tell (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.” The scale, planning, and savagery of the Pahalgam attack have left the nation shaken, prompting questions about intelligence lapses and security readiness in high-tourism zones of Kashmir. The search continues for the perpetrators, as investigators work to trace additional operatives and potential safehouses in the region.

At the WAVES 2025 Summit, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani made a powerful case for India’s media and entertainment (M&E) sector, predicting its valuation could quadruple from $28 billion to over $100 billion within the next decade, provided the right investments and policies are in place. Key Highlights from Ambani’s Address: 🚀 Massive Growth Potential 🏗️ Strategic Investments Needed To achieve this exponential growth, he proposed: 🧠 Policy and Regulation 🌍 Soft Power to Real Power 🔁 Tech + Tradition Conclusion: Mukesh Ambani’s vision reflects a future where India doesn’t just consume content — it leads the world in creating and exporting immersive, culturally rich, technologically sophisticated entertainment. His call to action hints at major future investments from Reliance and potential policy shifts to boost India’s digital creative economy.