The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) and the Free Speech Collective (FSC) have approached the Supreme Court alleging that journalists were detained, manhandled and prevented from reporting while covering protests in the national capital on October 10 and 11. The petitions allege that journalists were forcibly removed from protest sites, stopped from filming and subjected to physical force. They also refer to allegations that phones, cameras and microphones were taken away from media persons, while women journalists faced invasive searches and misbehaviour. The DUJ petition, filed through advocate Shashank Singh on behalf of its members and other affected journalists, relies on a signed statement by senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who said he was detained on October 10 despite showing his Press Information Bureau (PIB) accreditation card. The petition contends that the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution is available to e

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, October 14, quashed a Ghaziabad Police notice seeking journalist Abhishek Upadhyay's account data from X. It also made absolute its earlier orders shielding him from arrest in a road rage case. "It is a breath of fresh air in these troubling times and has empowered a journalist to do his job fearlessly," Upadhyay told Influencing India. The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi found that the police's explanation for the notice was "in contradiction with the contents of the notice." It ordered that any information obtained through the notice, or otherwise, "shall not be utilised against the petitioner." "Now, there is a sense of protection. You can do your work without fear or favour and without being threatened for carrying out your work," Upadhyay said. Asked about his next step, he said: "I will now discuss with my lawyer and follow their advice." The Cri

Thursday, 15 October 2026 #1  ·  Times Business / Nation  ·  In-depth feature / Breaking news IDBI sale to increase value, new mgmt to get free hand By Sidhartha   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 30 (Times Business) The Dipam secretary Arunish Chawla detailed the methodology behind the IDBI Bank stake sale to Fairfax Financial, explaining how the government used market-multiple and net-asset-value approaches to arrive at the Rs 75.99-per-share fair value, with the winning Fairfax bid at Rs 81. Chawla confirmed employee and pensioner protections, said LIC will exit the board, and pledged further strategic disinvestments before the fiscal year closes. The piece is anchored by an on-record interview with the key bureaucrat driving the transaction. A named reporter secured an exclusive on-record interview with the Dipam secretary hours after Cabinet clearance, going well beyond the press-release anno

Journalists in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district staged a protest against the arrest and detention of journalists in Haryana, submitting a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister through the District Magistrate. In the memorandum, they called for an impartial investigation into the matter and the immediate release of the detained journalists. The protesting journalists expressed concern over the arrest of Hindi Khabar Editor-in-Chief Atul Agarwal and the detention of a female journalist associated with Living India. They said the action against journalists reporting on social issues such as drug abuse raises serious questions. The journalists demanded a transparent inquiry into the case and sought the immediate release of Atul Agarwal and the detained female journalist. They also underscored the need to safeguard press freedom and protect the rights of journalists.

The proposed India CTV & FAST Council (ICFC) has invited organisations across India’s Connected TV (CTV) and Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) ecosystem to become founding members and help shape its priorities and governance. The Expression of Interest (EOI), open until October 31, 2026, follows an industry roundtable convened by Runn Media Labs, the company behind RunnTV, in September. Participants included JioStar, Zee, Shemaroo, Magnite and The Trade Desk. ICFC aims to promote transparent advertising, trusted audience measurement, fraud prevention, common standards and fair distribution. The initiative welcomes broadcasters, platforms, advertisers, agencies and technology providers. Submitting an EOI involves no financial or membership commitment.    

Various journalist organisations in Mumbai recently met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded strict action against attacks, intimidation and the targeting of journalists through social media trolling. The delegation was led by senior journalist and Jai Maharashtra news channel editor Vrushali Kadam, who was recently subjected to online trolling after condemning the attack on her channel’s reporter while covering the MPSC protest in Pune on October 1. Speaking to Influencing India, Kadam said, “It was my duty as a senior [journalist] to come forward and stand by my colleague, and I shall continue doing so.” She further pointed out that the incident could have been avoided if the political party organising the protest had taken all the necessary precautions. Kadam described the meeting with Fadnavis as fruitful and said the Chief Minister had also condemned the trolling and the attack on the press. She also thanked the support from journalists bodies.&nbs