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India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu took a shot at the country's news media and pushed for restraint, much like the US President Donald Trump. Naidu advocated for prescribing a minimum educational qualification for aspiring journalists, <a href="http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1562435" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">according</a> to the Press Information Bureau. "The Fourth Estate had always championed the cause of the underdogs," he said, but then went on to add that,"the same cannot be said of the noble profession any longer as commercial and other considerations were taking precedence over everything else." Naidu warned the country's press against becoming become captive receivers of biased and partisan information. "One would have to read a minimum of four to five major newspapers to get a complete sense of the current developments. Same is the case with the news channels," he said. It is true that there is a rise in <a href="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/duty-identity-credibility.pdf" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">sensationalism</a> (pdf) and polarisation in Indian media. However, it is unlikely that the establishment would be annoyed by outfits that take the same line as the government on most contentious issues. Therefore, the curbs, if any, will only affect those who contest the state's narrative. The comments from Naidu have come two days after the government was cornered by a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/unemployment-in-india-is-at-its-highest-in-45-years-says-an-indian-daily-citing-an-undisclosed-jobs-survey/articleshow/67769020.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">scoop</a>, which said that the unemployment in the country was at its worst in 45 years based on an undisclosed survey submitted to the government by the National Sample Survey Office (<keyword id="159764" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="nsso">NSSO</keyword>). The story was covered by every major media outlet-- both Indian and foreign-- and all of them attributed it to the daily, Business Standard, which reported it first. It was a body blow for the government that has tried to dismiss allegations of a jobless growth in the world's sixth largest economy. This is not the first time that governments in India have advocated curbs on press freedom. Just last year, a similar attempt by the Information and Broadcasting (I&amp;B) Ministry had to be withdrawn after a severe backlash from the industry. In April 2018, the I&amp;B Ministry issued a circular stating that the Press Council of India and News Broadcasters Association, the two regulatory bodies for print and television media respectively, will determine whether a news story is fake or not. However, the notice was withdrawn by the government after a <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ib-ministry-overturns-arbitrary-fake-news-norms-after-pm-modis-intervention-opposition-slams-govts-u-turn-5122107/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">reported</a> intervention by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The minister then, Smriti Irani, has <a href="https://www.rediff.com/news/report/goyal-given-additional-charge-of-finmin-irani-loses-ib-ministry/20180514.htm" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">since</a> been moved to another department. The other side of the story India already <a href="https://rsf.org/en/india" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">ranks</a> an abysmal 138 out of 180 countries in the world, just one notch above Pakistan, for press freedom. India slipped two places on the world ranking in 2018 due to a variety of reasons. While the country still has a rich variety of news media, the challenges for journalists have been on the rise. Particularly, in strife-torn regions. "Kashmiri journalists working for local media outlets are often the targets of violence by soldiers acting with the central government's tacit consent," said the <keyword id="1542416" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Press-Freedom-Index">World Press Freedom Index</keyword> Report 2018 by Reporters Without Borders. Foreign reporters are barred from the region and the Internet is often disconnected during tense times. There has also been a rise in physical attacks. "At least three of the journalists murdered in 2017 were targeted in connection with their work. They included the newspaper editor Gauri Lankesh, who had been the target of a hate campaign on social networks. Three other journalists were killed for their professional activity in March 2018," the report said. Parties of all political hues have had a bone to pick with one media outlet or another, both at the central and the state levels. The politicians have been quick to file defamation suits against reporters, while criticising rivals for doing the same. The plight of journalists on social media is a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/opinion/india-journalists-slut-shaming-rape.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">story</a> in itself. Journalists are repeatedly abused, threatened with murder or rape by online trolls backed by political parties. Even the prime minister has been blamed for his tacit support to many online bullies. The comments from Naidu today is likely to revive the debate on press freedom in India. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 15px; font-weight: 500; font-family: Opensans-Regular; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px; font-style: italic;"></h2>

Threat to press freedom in India as vice president wants a 'code of conduct'

(Eds: Updating, Adding comments from state CMs) New Delhi, Mar 7 () The Central government is mulling extending the nationwide lockdown beyond April 14 to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic following requests from several states and experts, government sources said on Tuesday.However, sources did not indicate if a final decision has been taken on the matter, and Joint Secretary in the Union health ministry Lav Aggarwal said, "no decision on extending lockdown as yet (taken), please don't speculate."India is currently under the 21-day lockdown since March 25, with only essential services exempted, to contain the fast-spreading virus, which has claimed more than 75,800 lives globally and afflicted over 13.5 lakh people across 183 countries."A lot of state governments as well as experts are requesting the Central Government to extend the lockdown. The Central government is thinking in this direction," a source said, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked countrymen to be ready for a long battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, and exhorted people to not feel tired or defeated while expressing confidence that India will emerge victorious in the fight.Chairing a meeting of the council of ministers through video conferencing on Monday, Modi had clearly indicated that the lifting of the lockdown in one go is very unlikely while discussing the modalities of lifting it.The Prime Minister also asked the ministers whether the restrictions should be lifted sector-wise or district-wise, a source said.Reiterating that lockdown measures and social distancing norms need to go hand in hand, Modi also told ministers to popularize Aarogya Setu app in the rural areas and grass root institutions.Several chief ministers have favoured the extension of the lockdown in the country to contain the fast-spreading virus, as the number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 4,421 and death toll touched 117.Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his government will extend lockdown if need arises, while his counterpart in Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot said the state cannot withdraw the lockdown immediately, and it has to be done in a phased manner.In a statement to mark two weeks of lockdown, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said the next one week of the lockdown is "critical" for evolving an exit strategy as the data regarding the spread of coronavirus will have a bearing on the decision to be taken by the government.He also appealed to the public to abide with whatever decision is ultimately taken by the government and cooperate with the same spirit that has been evident so far, "even if it meant to continue with some degree of hardship beyond April 14".On Monday, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had said he will appeal to Prime Minister Modi to extend the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus in the country.Also Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said,"there is still time for the lockdown and we will review the situation and then decide" on lifting it.Since there is no vaccine to fight COVID-19, the government has stressed that social distancing is the only way to check the spread of the virus. Lockdown is considered the best way to keep people indoors. Inter-state travel by public transport, including trains and buses, is banned, and so is domestic and international air travel. NAB PYKPYK

COVID-19: Govt mulling extending lockdown beyond April 14 after requests from states, experts

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Threat to press freedom in India as vice president wants a 'code of conduct'

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