Fourth Pillar Of Indian Democracy Under Increased Strain

Surbhi Verma, APG Shimla University

ABSTRACT

The fourth pillar of Indian democracy that is press, these days facing numerous question on their independence and transparency. In 2023 India ranked 161st among 180 countries published by World Press Freedom Index 2023. All the neighbor countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan were ahead from India. The Indian Govt. questioned the report published by RSF as methodology is non – transparent and very small size is taken in consideration. Article 19 (1) A of Indian constitution guarantees right to freedom of speech and expression. It enshrines that every citizen has right to express their thoughts, opinions and ideas freely. While with there are some restrictions on this imposed by the state in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of the state. India is the world biggest democratic countries in spite of it has been observed over the period of time that Indian press is not transparent and independent as it used to be earlier. There are so many Factors which influences the transparency and independence of press such as political pressure, corporate interests, ownership patterns, Financial dependencies and need for advertisers can play a role. Meanwhile, the Constitution provides a foundation for press freedom; its effective implementation and protection often depend on the judiciary and legal mechanisms. It is equivalently important for journalists to be aware of their rights and for society to uphold the importance of a free and independent press.