The PUCL Condemns the J&K Order of surveillance of working journalists and the denial of press freedom

PEOPLE’S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

Founder: Jayaprakash Narayan; Founding President: V M Tarkunde

Press Note

The PUCL Condemns the J&K Order of surveillance of working journalists and the denial of press freedom
Demands that the Administration instill faith in the media and promote a free press, fundamental to a democracy

14 November 2025

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), India, deplores the recent attempt by the Jammu and Kashmir government and its District Information Officers (DIOs) to surveil working journalists, restrict access to freelance journalists and seek private information like their salary statements and academic qualifications under the guise of curbing criminal activities and misrepresentation by those posing as media persons.

While the DIO, Shopian, sought details like salary statements, appointment letters and salary statements from journalists operating in their district, it is learnt that DIOs in Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipore have also issued issued similar directives. Strangely, the DIOs who are essentially officers mandated to provide official information to all citizens, have now been given dangerously excessive powers amounting to policing and surveillance.

The genesis of these orders is a directive, issued on October 30, 2025, by Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, the Joint Director Information, Kashmir from the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Jammu and Kashmir government to all district information officers (DIOs) to ensure that media persons operating in the district are verified and documented.

Entitled “Vigilance, Monitoring and Reporting of Misuse of Media Identity and Impersonation”, the detailed directive to DIOs to maintain a “verified list of accredited, authorised and bona fide media persons” and share press releases and official briefings only to those on the verified list. Furthermore, the district information officers are directed to “keep a close watch” and report persons who “misuse” their media credentials and “malign officials and institutions for private gain”.

The district-wise directives are sweeping and varied but have the cumulative effect of severely restricting access of journalists from official meeting and briefings. They privilege accredited journalists, though there is little transparency in the process to acquire accreditation. They violate the privacy of journalists by monitoring their personal financial information, thereby jeopardising them and rendering them vulnerable and exposed to pressure and intimidation.

The delegation of this function to District Public Information officers is a telling choice. PIOs have the function of implementing RTI Act, which is a law in place for increasing transparency in governance and a tool in the hands of citizens. By giving the same officers the function of surveilling and inquiring on journalists, they are being made tools of the government to crackdown on the press and democracy. Moreover, this may also constitute excessive delegation and hence and unconstitutional exercise of power.
Far from tackling the pernicious spread of fake news, these guidelines are undisguised restrictions on the right of reporters to freely access information and investigate any issue. They also seek to criminalise legitimate information gathering, instead of deploying clear and effective mechanisms under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, to curb fake news or criminal activities like extortion.
The directive clearly delegitimises freelancers and stringers as it directs DIOs to “sensitize local media houses and advise editors in their respective districts to “exercise due diligence” in engaging with correspondents, freelancers, or stringers in the field and engage only qualified, credible and verified correspondents.”

The deliberate omission of freelance journalists and stringers ignores the vital role they play in the entire chain of information gathering and dissemination and worsens the extreme professional and financial vulnerability of independent journalists in the Kashmir Valley, struggling to practise their work against all odds.

It also directs editors to uphold the Press Council of India’s code of journalistic ethics and the DIPR accreditation/empanelment guidelines. PUCL India notes that, while the former is a welcome directive, its enforceability is limited.

On the other hand, the latter is directly linked to the controversial Media Policy-2020 which disburses government advertising to media houses and de-empanel those media houses who publish alleged news on “anti-national activities.” The policy was formulated by the then government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, under direct control of the Union government. Far from setting in place transparent processes, the policy legitimises the government’s attempt to “reward” media houses that are either uncritical or unquestioning of the official line with advertising revenue, further compromising independent journalism.

PUCL India also notes that this directive is the latest in the systematic attempts by the J & K administration to undermine media freedom. Since the abrogation of Article 370, the press in J&K has been systematically silenced with journalists working under fear and intimidation. From internet bans to raids on media houses, the media was subjected to multiple blows. Journalists have been arrested and denied bail for years under draconian clauses of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Act, 1967, or placed in preventive detention under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978. Award-winning journalists are de-boarded and journalists are denied permission to travel abroad. They are routinely summoned to police stations for ‘friendly chats’ over their work while their families face questioning and surveillance.

Instead of instilling faith in the media and promoting press freedoms, which are vital to a functioning democracy, the government by imposing such diktats is only increasing its control and thwarting the independence of the press.The hallmark of a democracy is the openness and transparency of those in authority and the only real answer to the dangers of fake news and propaganda is the speedy dissemination of authentic and verified information.

PUCL India demands that these administrative orders are rescinded forthwith. PUCL India demands that the government’s information department stop its surveillance and policing activities. All efforts must be made to provide transparent processes of accreditation and recognition to journalists, the unofficial blacklisting and back-door intimidation of media houses must end and DIOs must be directed to fulfil their mandated role of providing access and information to all citizens, including independent journalists.

President: Kavita Srivastava, 9351562965
General Secretary: Dr. V. Suresh, 9444231497
Address: Patpar Ganj, Opposite Anand Lok Apartments (Gate No. 2), Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi 110 091
E.mails:<puclnat@gmail.com>. Please visit our website: www.pucl.org