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Johannesburg: International civil rights organisation CIVICUS has placed India on its latest Monitor Watchlist, citing a rapid deterioration in civic freedoms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term and expressing alarm over the escalating crackdown on activists, journalists, civil society organisations and dissenting voices across the country.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, CIVICUS, which measures civic freedoms around the world, said the decline has been marked by increasing persecution of human rights defenders, growing restrictions on independent media and civil society organisations, and the expanded misuse of anti-terror laws and other legal measures against government critics.<\/p>\n
The CIVICUS Monitor currently rates India as “Repressed”, the second-worst category on its global civic freedoms index, indicating severe restrictions on the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association. India has been added to the latest Watchlist alongside Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Ecuador and Georgia.<\/p>\n
In a press release, the organisation said authorities had intensified their crackdown on activists and rights campaigners. It cited the detention of eleven activists, including students, workers’ rights advocates and anti-displacement campaigners, by Delhi Police in March 2026 without arrest warrants or notification to their families. Some detainees were allegedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in custody.<\/p>\n
CIVICUS also highlighted the continued use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against activists. It noted that the National Investigation Agency renewed its pursuit of activists linked to the Bhima Koregaon case, while activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were again denied bail despite remaining imprisoned under the UAPA since 2020.<\/p>\n
The organisation further expressed concern over the shrinking space for peaceful assembly, pointing to the detention of more than 300 people following a factory workers’ protest in Noida in April and the use of force against youth-led demonstrators during the July 20 protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).<\/p>\n
“The Indian government has systematically expanded its use of draconian anti-terror laws to silence dissent,” said Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Asia-Pacific researcher. “When human rights defenders spend years entangled in legal proceedings for exercising their fundamental freedoms, the process itself becomes a form of punishment.”<\/p>\n
The rights group also raised alarm over increasing pressure on journalists and independent media. It referred to the imprisonment of investigative journalist Ravi Nair in a criminal defamation case, the investigation against digital news outlet TeluguScribe under anti-terror legislation, and the attack on the office of the Assamese daily Asomiya Pratidin following criticism of the Assam chief minister.<\/p>\n
CIVICUS also criticised proposed amendments to India’s Information Technology Rules, saying they would significantly expand the government’s censorship powers over journalists and independent news organisations. It further cited the recent ban on the film Satluj, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, shortly after its release.<\/p>\n
The organisation said non-governmental organisations continue to face mounting restrictions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). It noted that amendments adopted in June 2026 expanded government control over the assets of organisations whose foreign funding licences had been revoked, imposed additional reporting requirements and further restricted NGOs from engaging in political activities.<\/p>\n
“These amendments to the FCRA are part of a sustained effort to squeeze independent civil society,” Benedict said. “The government is tightening its grip on funding, speech and activism, leaving very little room for dissenting voices.”<\/p>\n
Referring to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), CIVICUS said restrictions on civic freedoms remain particularly acute. It noted that human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj, who were released on bail in July with strict conditions after prolonged incarceration, continue to face charges under the UAPA, while authorities have restricted access to information through internet curbs, targeted human rights-related social media accounts and recently arrested three publishers over books alleged to contain objectionable material.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Johannesburg: International civil rights organisation CIVICUS has placed India on its latest Monitor Watchlist, citing a rapid deterioration in civic freedoms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term and expressing alarm over the escalating crackdown on activists, journalists, civil society organisations and dissenting voices across the country. According to Kashmir Media Service, CIVICUS, which measures …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":206540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t