India has dropped two places on the World Press Freedom Index, now ranking at 142 out of 180 countries.
Reporters Without Borders says a communications blackout in Indian-administered Kashmir, which made it increasingly difficult for journalists to report on what is happening in the region, played a significant role in that shift.
Their report calls the area a "vast open prison".
Yet, India's government maintains there is nothing short of absolute media freedom.
Al Jazeera's Elizabeth Puranam reports from New Delhi.
