Press freedom in India has taken a turn for the worse, in line with the World Press Freedom Index.

The nation’s rating has slipped to 161 out of 180 international locations, in line with a report launched by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders on World Press Freedom Day yesterday (May 3).

“The situation has gone from ‘problematic’ to ‘very bad’ in three other countries: Tajikistan (down 1 at 153rd), India (down 11 at 161st) and Turkey (down 16 at 165th),” the non-profit’s report stated.

Even Taliban-led Afghanistan and crisis-hit Pakistan fared higher at 152 and 150 respectively. Norway topped the rating.

India’s slide has come amid many developments within the nation which will point out a shrinking of house without spending a dime media.

For occasion, the British broadcaster BBC is beneath extreme stress from prime minister Narendra Modi’s authorities. It was subjected to earnings tax raids and a forex-related probe after it carried a documentary scathing of Modi for his alleged position within the Gujarat 2002 earlier this yr.

Similarly, media organizations like the Quint and NDTV have been taken over by enterprise conglomerates perceived to be near Modi. This was adopted by their senior journalists and founders, until then important of the federal government, quitting the organization.

This is apart from a deluge of misinformation sweeping the media, notably concentrating on journalists themselves.

“My image has been morphed in a porn video and circulated all over the internet, including the fan pages of the ruling government leaders. Spokespersons of the ruling government in India have spread the vilest fake news and misinformation about me and my family members,” Indian journalist Rana Ayyub told the Nobel Prize organization on World Press Freedom Day.

Meanwhile, and never surprisingly, the Indian authorities doesn’t agree with the press freedom rating. It has cited the index’s low pattern measurement and questionable methodology, amongst different components, to claim its disagreement. It has additionally claimed to not intrude with the working of the press within the nation.