India added to human rights watchlist as repression intensifies in Modi’s third term

29/07/2026

Civicus / by CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist

– 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
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.
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CIVICUS adds India to global human rights watchlist amid rising curbs on civic freedoms

29/07/2026

Counterview / by Jag Jivan

Global civil society alliance CIVICUS has placed India on its latest CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, citing what it describes as a rapid deterioration in civic freedoms during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term in office.
The organisation says the move reflects an escalating crackdown on activists, journalists, civil society organisations and critics of the government through restrictive legislation, censorship measures and expanded state powers.
… In April 2026, the National Investigation Agency renewed investigations into activists connected to the long-running Bhima Koregaon case, despite several having already spent years in pre-trial detention before obtaining bail.
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India: Activists arrested, abducted and tortured, journalists targeted and laws tightened to increase control

11/06/2026

CIVICUS / by CIVICUS

India’s civic space is still rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. The authorities persist in targeting activists, journalists, students and civil society through the misuse of draconian laws, arbitrary detention, censorship and the criminalisation of dissent. Over the past year, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), counterterrorism provisions and public order regulations have been consistently deployed to silence government critics, restrict civil society, and deter peaceful protests.
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Also read:
▪ Civic freedoms remain at risk with crackdown on protests, internet restrictions and denial of bail to activists (CIVICUS / Jan 2026)
▪ Ongoing detention of activists without bail, criminalisation of dissent and ban on books (CIVICUS / Sep S025)
▪ Read India report: INDIA – COUNTRY FACTSHEET 2025 (World Organization Against Torture / Jun 2025)

▪ India: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the deterioration of civic space (CIVICUS /Jul 2024)