भारत का रैंक 2026 विश्व प्रेस स्वतंत्रता सूचकांक में 157 पर गिरा – कानूनी बाधाएँ और संबंधित नीति अपडेट

<h3>Overview</h3> <p>The week of 27 April‑3 May 2026 saw several high‑impact developments: India slipped to <strong>157th</strong> in the <span class="key-term" data-definition="World Press Freedom Index – annual ranking by Reporters Without Borders measuring press freedom across five dimensions; crucial for GS2 (Polity) and GS3 (Economy) as it reflects legal and political climate.">World Press Freedom Index</span>, the <span class="key-term" data-definition="National Crime Records Bureau – India's statistical agency under the Home Ministry that compiles crime data; essential for GS3 (Economy) and GS2 (Polity) analyses.">NCRB</span> reported a 6% decline in total crimes, while the Union Cabinet approved the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0 – a credit‑support programme for stressed sectors, guaranteeing 100% of loans to eligible borrowers; relevant to GS3 (Economy) and fiscal policy.">ECLGS 5.0</span> and increased the Supreme Court bench. Simultaneously, the government launched the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Mission for Cotton Productivity – a five‑year scheme (2026‑31) with a ₹5,659 crore outlay to boost cotton yield to 755 kg/ha; linked to GS3 (Economy) and agricultural policy.">Mission for Cotton Productivity</span>, and approved new semiconductor plants using <span class="key-term" data-definition="Gallium Nitride (GaN) – a wide‑bandgap semiconductor material offering higher efficiency and power density than silicon; important for GS3 (Economy) and technology strategy.">GaN</span> technology.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>India’s press‑freedom ranking fell from 151st (2025) to <strong>157th</strong> in 2026, with a global score of <strong>31.96</strong>, placing it in the “very serious” category.</li> <li>The legal indicator of the Index deteriorated in <strong>110 of 180</strong> countries, including India, Egypt, Israel and Georgia.</li> <li><span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 – legislation increasing the maximum strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38 (excluding the CJI); impacts GS2 (Polity) and judicial administration.">Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026</span> received Cabinet approval, raising the bench by four judges.</li> <li>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0 – a scheme guaranteeing 100% of credit extended by banks to eligible borrowers, targeting an additional credit flow of ₹2.55 lakh crore, including ₹5,000 crore for airlines; vital for GS3 (Economy) and crisis‑response financing.">ECLGS 5.0</span> was approved to address credit gaps in sectors hit by the West Asia conflict.</li> <li><span class="key-term" data-definition="Mission for Cotton Productivity – a five‑year (2026‑31) mission with a ₹5,659 crore outlay aiming to raise cotton productivity to 755 kg/ha and produce 498 lakh bales; aligns with agricultural and industri