FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2021

Subject: International Reports and indices

Context: The report demoted India’s freedom score from “free” to “partly free”, saying rights and civil liberties “have been eroding

Concept:

The report is brought by the Washington-based noted think tank Freedom House. It assesses countries on 25 different indicators.
It is published since 1973 and assesses the condition of political rights and civil liberties around the world.
The report deported India based on attacks on Muslims, use of the sedition law, and the government’s coronavirus response including the lockdown.
India’s score decreased from 71 to 67 (100 being the ranking for the most free country), and its rank fell from 83 to 88 out of 211 countries. It places India with Ecuador and Dominican Republic.
India’s Internet Freedom Score has stayed at 51.

Significance of report

Now less than 20 per cent of the world’s people live in a Free country — the smallest proportion since 1995.
The most free countries in the world, with a score of 100, are Finland, Norway and Sweden, while the least free with a score of 1 are Tibet and Syria
India’s ranking had risen twice between 2013 to 2015, then stayed steady till 2018 and since then declining.
Amendments to the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act and the freezing of Amnesty International’s assets reflects decline in freedom of NGOs.
Score on independence of judiciary also decline with nomination of Ex-CJI in Rajya Sabha, alleged pro-govt decisions, the high-profile transfer of a judge after he ruled against the government’s political interests
Individual’s freedom of movement declined due to migrant crisis and “violent and discriminatory enforcement by police and civilian vigilantes
Again listed “Indian Kashmir” separately as “not free”

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