India Watchlist 2026
India added to human rights watchlist as repression intensifies in Modi's third term
- A range of legal measures are being used to jail activists, protesters, journalists and critics of the government
- Authorities are expanding censorship and surveillance powers
- NGOs face tighter funding restrictions and unprecedented government control over their operations
29 July - India has been added to the latest CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist due to a rapid deterioration in civic freedoms during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. The decline has been marked by the escalating persecution of activists, growing restrictions on independent media and civil society organisations, and the expanded misuse of anti-terror legislation and other legal measures against critics of the government.
The CIVICUS Monitor currently rates India as “Repressed”, the second worst rating a country can receive, indicating severe restrictions to the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Alongside India the latest Watchlist also includes Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Ecuador and Georgia.
Authorities have intensified their crackdown on activists and rights campaigners. In March 2026, eleven activists, including students, workers’ rights advocates and anti-displacement campaigners, were detained by Delhi Police officers in plain clothes, reportedly without arrest warrants or notification to their families. Some of those detained were allegedly subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment while in custody.
Authorities have also continued its use of the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against activists. In April 2026, the National Investigation Agency renewed its pursuit of activists linked to the long-running Bhima Koregaon case, several of whom had already spent years in pre-trial detention before securing bail. In June 2026, activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were again denied bail after being held under the UAPA since 2020 on baseless charges linked to the February 2020 Delhi riots.
Freedom of peaceful assembly has also come under increasing pressure. In April 2026, police were accused of using excessive force during a protest by factory workers in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, who were demonstrating over low wages and poor working conditions. More than 300 people, including several activists, were subsequently detained. Authorities also used excessive force at a protest on 20 July by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led protest movement seeking education and employment reforms.
“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 can spend years entangled in legal proceedings for their activism and exercising their fundamental freedoms, the process itself becomes a form of punishment.”
At the same time, journalists and independent media outlets face mounting restrictions. In February 2026, investigative journalist Ravi Nair was sentenced to one year in prison in a criminal defamation case linked to social media posts critical of the Adani Group. In April 2026, police launched an investigation into the social media news outlet TeluguScribe under anti-terror legislation, while the office of the daily newspaper Asomiya Pratidin was attacked following criticism by Assam’s Chief Minister.
Concerns have also grown over new measures that could significantly expand censorship powers. The Committee to Protect Journalists warned in April 2026 that proposed amendments to India’s Information Technology Rules would grant authorities sweeping powers to censor independent journalists and news organisations. In July 2026, authorities banned the film Satluj, which depicts the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, less than 48 hours after its release.
NGOs continue to face increasing restrictions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). New amendments adopted in June 2026 expanded government control over the assets of organisations whose foreign funding licences have been revoked, while imposing additional reporting and operational requirements. The changes also further restrict the participation of foreign nationals in organisations and prohibit NGOs from engaging in political campaigns, endorsing candidates or supporting political parties.
“These amendments to the FCRA are not isolated incidents, they are part of a sustained effort to squeeze independent civil society,” said Benedict. “The government is tightening its grip on funding, speech and activism, leaving very little room for dissenting voices. These actions are inconsistent with India’s international human rights obligations.”
Restrictions on civic freedoms remain especially acute in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj are facing charges under the UAPA, while authorities have curtailed access to information by throttling internet services and targeting human rights-focused social media accounts authorities deem as “anti-India”. In addition, earlier this month three publishers were arrested over books alleged to contain objectionable material.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
On India’s civic space rating of Repressed:
In countries with this rating the civic space is significantly constrained. Active individuals and civil society members who criticise power holders risk surveillance, harassment, intimidation, imprisonment, injury and death. Although some civil society organisations exist, their advocacy work is regularly impeded, and they face threats of de-registration and closure by the authorities (see full description of ratings). See Frequently Asked Questions about the Watchlist here.
There are a total of 50 countries in the world with this rating (see all).
About the CIVICUS Monitor
The new watchlist is released by the CIVICUS Monitor, an online platform that tracks the latest developments to civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, across 198 countries and territories.