The Delhi High Court (HC) has issued a notice to the Union government and the Press Council of India (PCI) following a writ petition filed by the Mumbai Press Club (MPC), seeking urgent reconstitution of the PCI. The petition urges the court to direct the PCI chairperson to constitute the 15th press council without any further delay.Justice Sachin Datta, who heard the petition on 26 May 2025 during the summer vacation, directed the government and PCI to file their replies. The case is now scheduled for further hearing on 10 July 2025.The Press Council of India, a statutory quasi-judicial body set up under an Act of Parliament, is meant to uphold press freedom and ensure ethical journalism. It hears complaints related to violations of press freedom and cases where media coverage potentially harms the rights and liberties of individuals.Ordinarily, the Press Council is reconstituted every three years and includes a chairperson—typically a retired Supreme Court judge—20 elected members representing journalists, editors, and publishers, and eight nominated members including five MPs and three public figures with expertise in law, literature, or the arts.However, the term of the 14th Press Council expired on 8 October 2024, and despite the statutory process to appoint the next Council starting over a year ago, the 15th Council is yet to be formed.This nine-month delay, the MPC argues, has rendered the PCI defunct and is severely affecting its statutory functions, particularly its role in resolving media-related disputes. The backlog of over 400 pending cases, which cannot be adjudicated in the absence of a functioning Council, is a cause of growing concern.The Mumbai Press Club’s petition highlights that several journalist associations, including MPC and the Editors Guild of India (EGI), were unfairly disqualified from participating in the nomination process by a scrutiny committee appointed by the chairperson. The disqualification, it argues, was based on flimsy and technical grounds.Both MPC and EGI have played prominent roles in previous Press Councils, particularly in highlighting issues such as the illegal detention of journalists, restrictions on the press in Jammu & Kashmir, and large-scale layoffs of media workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.In a significant development, the Delhi HC had earlier ruled in favour of MPC on 22 November 2024, recognising it as a legitimate ‘association of persons’ and setting aside the scrutiny committee’s decision. Despite this, the PCI has filed a letters patent appeal (LPA) challenging the single-judge verdict, which remains pending before a division bench. Importantly, there is no stay or interim order in any of the related cases that would prevent the formation of the new Council.MPC’s petition argues that citing ongoing legal disputes as an excuse for delay is not valid, especially since the court has not stayed the reconstitution process. It also warns that inaction is harming the only statutory mechanism available for protecting press freedom and addressing media-related grievances.Apart from MPC, other journalist bodies such as the EGI and the Working Cameraman’s Association have also approached the High Court seeking inclusion in the Press Council. Their petitions too are pending before a division bench.The non-functioning of the Press Council, MPC argues, is a serious setback for Indian journalism at a time when institutional mechanisms for safeguarding press freedom are already under strain. By filing this writ of mandamus, the Mumbai Press Club hopes to restore the functioning of the PCI and ensure that it remains an effective guardian of the rights of the media and the public it serves.
Please write a news story on behalf of firstne.in portal highlighting India’s slip in press freedom index and need for robust media freedom monitoring mechanism.
India’s Press Freedom Ranking Slips Amid Delay in Reconstituting Press Council of India
By Firstne.in Staff, June 7, 2025
New Delhi: India’s position in the global press freedom index has seen a troubling decline in recent years, raising alarm about the state of media independence in the world’s largest democracy. The ongoing delay in reconstituting the Press Council of India (PCI), a statutory body tasked with upholding press freedom and ethical journalism, has only deepened concerns about the mechanisms meant to safeguard media rights.
According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India ranks 161 out of 180 countries, a significant drop from its 150th position in 2022. The RSF report cites increasing restrictions on journalists, including arrests, legal harassment, and censorship, as key factors behind the slide. This decline underscores the urgent need for a robust, independent body to monitor and protect press freedom in India—a role the PCI is meant to fulfill.
The PCI, established under the Press Council Act of 1978, is designed to ensure ethical journalism and address violations of press freedom. However, the body has been non-functional since the term of the 14th Press Council expired on October 8, 2024. Despite the statutory process for appointing the 15th Council beginning over a year ago, delays in its reconstitution have left the PCI defunct, with over 400 pending cases awaiting resolution.
The Mumbai Press Club (MPC), in a writ petition filed before the Delhi High Court, has urged the court to direct the Union government and the PCI chairperson to expedite the formation of the 15th Press Council. The petition, heard by Justice Sachin Datta on May 26, 2025, during the court’s summer vacation, prompted the court to issue notices to the government and PCI, with the next hearing scheduled for July 10, 2025.
The MPC’s petition highlights a troubling issue: the disqualification of prominent journalist associations, including the MPC and the Editors Guild of India (EGI), from participating in the PCI nomination process. A scrutiny committee appointed by the PCI chairperson excluded these groups on what the MPC describes as “flimsy and technical grounds.” Although the Delhi High Court, in a November 22, 2024, ruling, overturned the disqualification and recognized the MPC as a legitimate ‘association of persons,’ the PCI has challenged this verdict through a letters patent appeal (LPA), which remains pending.
The absence of a functioning PCI has created a void in addressing media-related disputes, from illegal detentions of journalists to restrictions on press freedom in regions like Jammu & Kashmir. The MPC argues that the delay, which it says lacks legal justification, is undermining the only statutory mechanism available to protect press freedom and resolve media grievances.
Other journalist bodies, including the EGI and the Working Cameraman’s Association, have also approached the Delhi High Court seeking inclusion in the PCI, with their petitions pending before a division bench. The collective outcry from these organizations reflects growing frustration over the erosion of institutional safeguards for Indian journalism.
The PCI, when operational, comprises a chairperson—typically a retired Supreme Court judge—20 elected members from the media, and eight nominated members, including five MPs and three public figures with expertise in law, literature, or the arts. Reconstituted every three years, the Council plays a critical role in resolving disputes and upholding journalistic standards. Its prolonged absence, however, has left journalists and media organizations vulnerable at a time when press freedom is under increasing strain.
India’s slipping rank in the press freedom index and the PCI’s current paralysis highlight the urgent need for a robust, independent mechanism to monitor and protect media freedom. As the MPC’s petition emphasizes, restoring the PCI’s functionality is not just a legal necessity but a vital step toward safeguarding the democratic role of the press.
The outcome of the Delhi High Court’s hearings in July 2025 will be closely watched by journalists and media advocates across the country, as they seek to ensure that India’s press remains free, fair, and fearless.
For updates on this story and more, visit firstne.in