CURRENT AFFAIRS | 4 MAY 2026
CLAT GK + CONSTITUTIONAL LAW & RELEVANT AREA
May 3 is observed worldwide as World Press Freedom Day, declared by the UN General Assembly in December 1993 to mark the anniversary of UNESCO’s Windhoek Declaration on Press Pluralism (1991). On the same day, Indian Express photographer Sankhadeep Banerjee won the Asian College of Journalism’s Ashish Yechury Memorial Award for Photojournalism (ACJ Awards 2025) for his image “Protestors at rest” — a bird’s-eye view of Maratha quota protestors at CST Mumbai at midnight. India ranks 159 out of 180 on the RSF World Press Freedom Index 2024.
What Happened
Press freedom in India is judicially read into Article 19(1)(a) — the right to freedom of speech and expression — through a chain of landmark Supreme Court verdicts: Romesh Thappar v State of Madras (1950), the first SC ruling striking down a state pre-publication ban; Sakal Papers v Union of India (1962), which struck down a government order fixing newspaper page-price ratios as a backdoor restriction on circulation; and Bennett Coleman v Union of India (1973), which struck down newsprint quota policies. Together they constitute the doctrinal core of Indian press-freedom jurisprudence.
Why It Matters for CLAT
Press freedom is one of the most-tested legal-reasoning passages on CLAT because (a) it is not a separate fundamental right — it is read INTO Article 19(1)(a); (b) reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) provide eight grounds (sovereignty, security of state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency/morality, contempt of court, defamation, incitement); (c) modern overlays include the Press Council Act 1978, the Cable TV Networks Act 1995, and the IT Rules 2021 on intermediary liability and digital news ethics — currently challenged in multiple High Courts on Article 19 grounds.
Constitutional & Statutory Framework
- Article 19(1)(a) — freedom of speech & expression (includes press)
- Article 19(2) — eight grounds for reasonable restrictions
- Romesh Thappar v Madras (1950) — first press-freedom verdict
- Sakal Papers v UoI (1962) — pre-publication restraint test
- Bennett Coleman v UoI (1973) — newsprint policy struck down
- UNESCO Windhoek Declaration 1991 — pluralism, independence, diversity
- Press Council Act 1978; IT Rules 2021
The CLAT Angle
Trap to memorise: press freedom is not a separately enumerated fundamental right. It is judicially derived from Article 19(1)(a). This is examined repeatedly. Also: don’t confuse the Press Council of India (a statutory body under PCI Act 1978, governs print) with the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) (self-regulatory body for TV/digital). RSF’s 159/180 rank reflects India’s deteriorating index — useful for a comparative-restriction passage.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| WPFD date | May 3 (UN GA Dec 1993) |
| Anchor | UNESCO Windhoek Declaration 1991 |
| 2025 ACJ Award | Sankhadeep Banerjee (Indian Express) |
| Award category | Ashish Yechury Memorial Photojournalism |
| RSF Index 2024 | India 159/180 |
| Constitutional anchor | Art 19(1)(a), 19(2) |
| Foundational case | Romesh Thappar v Madras (1950) |
Mnemonic — PRESS
Press-Council · Romesh-Thappar · Expression-19(1)(a) · Sakal-Papers · Standards-Windhoek
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Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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