India’s dangerous slide toward authoritarianism under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government continued with increased vilification of Muslims and various government critics, says Human Rights in its World Report 2026.
Consequently, the Human Rights Watch World Report 2026 notes that some Indian citizens were even included among those forcibly removed from the country. These actions reflect a broader pattern of systematic discrimination. This discrimination continues to target religious minorities. It also targets those who oppose the administration.
Authorities expelled hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims and Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh illegally. They claimed these individuals were merely illegal immigrants.
Military Escalation and the Threat of War
India and Pakistan came perilously close to full-blown war after a deadly attack by gunmen who specifically singled out and killed Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-based groups for the tragic attack that killed twenty-six people and immediately launched several targeted airstrikes against alleged militant groups. Pakistan subsequently retaliated with its own drones and airstrikes, which led to a significant military escalation from the Indian side during the year.
Both nations blamed each other for attacking civilians. International observers watched the security situation deteriorate. They had growing concern for regional stability.
Suppression of Dissent and Legal Overreach
Several activists and students currently languish in jail. They are held without any formal charges. This is happening under India’s abusive and controversial counterterrorism laws during this period. The government also used its amended criminal code to shut down peaceful speech by targeting journalists, activists, and prominent social media influencers.
Moreover, the authorities frequently used allegations of financial irregularities. They targeted the political opponents of the BJP. This served to weaken the democratic opposition. These tactics have created a chilling effect on free expression. They have also consolidated power within the current ruling administration across the entire nation.
Institutional Decline and International Relations
The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions recommended that India’s National Human Rights Commission be downgraded due to persistent political interference. Opposition politicians and civil society activists expressed growing concern over the apparent lack of independence regarding the current Election Commission of India.
Several countries continued to strengthen their security, economic, and trade ties with the nation. They did so despite the Modi administration’s deteriorating human rights record. This global engagement persists. The human rights system faces unprecedented threats. These threats come from rising authoritarian waves sweeping across different world powers.
The Pahalgam Attack and Military Escalation
In April, gunmen killed twenty-six people, mostly Hindu tourists, in Pahalgam town, leading to a four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan. At least sixteen people were reportedly killed on the Indian side while Pakistan claimed Indian airstrikes killed forty civilians and eleven soldiers.
Both nations blamed each other for attacking civilians. International observers watched the deteriorating security situation with a growing sense of alarm. This military escalation is one of the most serious confrontations. It occurred between the two nuclear-armed neighbours over the disputed territory in recent years.
Suppression of Dissent and Media Freedom
Authorities suppressed local dissent. They briefly blocked independent media outlets and commentators. They also filed cases against various academics and popular local satirists. The government demolished the homes of alleged militants, despite the fact that the Supreme Court had already prohibited such punitive actions elsewhere.
Indian authorities banned twenty-five books on Jammu and Kashmir. They claimed these books excite secessionism. They also raided several bookstores during August 2025. These actions have created a chilling effect on free expression. They have also consolidated power within the current ruling administration across the entire region.
Mob Violence and Communal Tensions
Angry rhetoric by national broadcast networks and social media users helped fuel Hindu mob attacks against Muslims, particularly Kashmiri students and workers. Victims across various states faced intense intimidation, threats, and physical assault as communal tensions were deliberately inflamed by highly inflammatory public discourse.
Meanwhile, allegations against security forces for arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings were reported throughout the year by various human rights monitors. Such incidents highlight the increasing vulnerability of religious minorities and residents of the region amid a broader national shift toward religious nationalism.
Unrest in Ladakh and the Arrest of Sonam Wangchuk
Police killed four people in Ladakh’s capital, Leh, after protests over statehood turned violent and protesters set fire to several police vehicles. Authorities shut down mobile internet and arrested educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act for fomenting alleged violence.
Wangchuk had been spearheading the movement for statehood through peaceful marches and hunger strikes in the region, which became centrally governed in 2019. This crackdown on a prominent activist demonstrates the government’s willingness to use stringent security laws to silence movements for regional political autonomy.
Persistent Impunity for Security Forces
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act remained in effect, providing effective immunity from prosecution to security forces even for serious human rights abuses. The National Human Rights Commission registered one hundred and thirteen deaths in police custody during the first eight months of the year 2025.
In February, a twenty-five-year-old man in Jammu and Kashmir died by suicide after recording a video alleging that the police tortured him. Another man was allegedly shot dead by security forces that month after speeding away from a checkpoint in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
Border Violence and Excessive Force
India’s Border Security Force allegedly killed at least ten Bangladeshis at the border during the first four months of the year 2025. The force has frequently used excessive force along the Bangladeshi border with total impunity, targeting both Indians and irregular immigrants or cattle traders. This pattern of violence aligns with broader concerns regarding the lack of accountability for security personnel operating in sensitive border and conflict zones. As regional stability wavers, the protection of human rights and the rule of law remain critical for the resilience of democratic institutions.
Escalating Violence and Hate Speech Against Muslims
Consequently, following the deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir, reported hate speech against Muslims increased significantly with sixty-four incidents within ten days. Furthermore, a Hindu man claimed responsibility for shooting a Muslim worker in Uttar Pradesh as retribution for the recent events in Kashmir. Similarly, in Karnataka, a Muslim man was tragically killed after he allegedly shouted pro-Pakistan slogans during a competitive local cricket match recently. In addition, police in Mumbai filed a formal case against nine BJP workers who were accused of assaulting several Muslim hawkers within the city.
Forced Expulsions and the Violation of Property Rights
Meanwhile, authorities expelled hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims from various BJP-run states to Bangladesh without following any legal due process during early April. Notably, Bangladesh authorities reported that India expelled more than fifteen hundred men, women, and children during the months of May and June. Alarmingly, many of those expelled turned out to be Indian citizens who were primarily impoverished migrant workers from states bordering the country. Furthermore, authorities in Gujarat state demolished over ten thousand structures claiming they were occupied by illegal immigrants despite a clear Supreme Court ruling.
Ethnic Unrest and Displacement in Assam and Manipur
Additionally, the government of Assam conducted at least seven demolition drives in July and August which displaced over five thousand local families. Tragically, authorities fatally shot a nineteen-year-old man during a violent clash with protesters following a recent eviction drive in the Goalpara district. Moreover, in February, the central government imposed presidential rule in Manipur following renewed clashes between ethnic groups despite the resignation of the chief minister. Unfortunately, state authorities failed to end ethnic violence that has claimed at least two hundred and sixty lives since May of the year 2023.
Security Operations and the Targeting of Tribal Communities
Simultaneously, security forces escalated counterinsurgency operations against Maoist insurgents while intensifying their military presence across central and eastern regions of the country. Reportedly, civil society groups alleged widespread abuses against Adivasi villagers including extrajudicial killings following security operations that began in the year 2024. Consequently, Hindu extremist groups targeted Dalit and tribal Christians who faced violent attacks, social boycotts, and economic isolation within the state of Chhattisgarh. Finally, human rights activists faced politically motivated charges from the authorities who accused them of being Maoists or supporters of the ongoing insurgency.
The Crackdown on Civil Society and NGOs
The Human Rights Watch World Report 2026 highlights that the authoritarian wave sweeping the world has significantly impacted democratic institutions within India today . Indian authorities are currently using foreign funding laws and counterterrorism measures to harass activists while aggressively prosecuting various influential civil society groups . Furthermore, officials from the Enforcement Directorate conducted several raids against organisations linked to foreign donors to investigate alleged financial irregularities during March . The government recently announced that non-profit organisations receiving international funds are no longer allowed to publish or circulate any news content . Consequently, the Delhi High Court recently refused to grant bail to several prominent student activists who have spent five years in prison . These individuals were originally arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act following peaceful protests against the discriminatory and controversial Citizenship Amendment Act .
Restrictions on Digital Speech and Media Freedom
The government censored media freedom and peaceful expression online through criminal prosecutions and disproportionate orders to take down various forms of digital content . Reporters from small towns working for regional publications currently face a significantly higher risk of being arrested for their journalistic work in India.
In September, the Ministry of Information ordered news organisations to remove one hundred and thirty-eight YouTube videos that allegedly defamed the Adani Enterprises . Additionally, authorities blocked social media accounts of news organisations and ordered X to suspend over eight thousand accounts without providing any justification. The BJP chief minister in Assam described the recent arrests of ninety-seven people for their social media comments as action against anti-national culprits . Despite these challenges, the Supreme Court recently protected several journalists from the news website Wire after authorities filed controversial sedition charges.
The Ongoing Struggle for Women’s and Girls’ Rights
Women and girls across India remain exposed to sexual violence while facing significant barriers when they attempt to seek justice or support . In July, a twenty-five-year-old tennis player was tragically shot dead by her own father in Gurugram near the capital city of Delhi. A special team in Karnataka is now investigating allegations of mass murder and rape involving victims in the temple town of Dharmasthala . This investigation stems from a sanitation worker’s complaint claiming he buried several bodies at the behest of temple administrators and local staff.
Moreover, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition to include political parties as employers under the sexual harassment at workplace prevention act in September. The court expressed concerns. They feared that allowing such a petition would open a Pandora’s box of legal complications for various political organizations.
Legal Progress for LGBTQ+ and Transgender Rights
Nevertheless, the Madras High Court recently ruled that same-sex couples can form families because marriage is not the only mode for association. This ruling provides a significant legal victory. The Supreme Court previously refused to legalise same-sex marriage across the country in 2023. Additionally, the Andhra Pradesh High Court officially recognised transgender women as women. They are entitled to the same legal protections as other citizens. These judicial decisions represent important milestones for gender identity and sexual orientation rights. This occurs during a period of otherwise declining democratic and social freedoms. Finally, protecting these fundamental rights is crucial. It remains vital for the resilience of India’s democratic and rule of law institutions in the future.
Questions and Answers Regarding India’s Human Rights Status
Q: How has the Indian government treated religious minorities according to the latest report?
The government has increased the vilification of Muslims and illegally expelled hundreds of Bengali-speaking individuals and Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh.
Q: What triggered the recent military escalation between India and Pakistan?
A deadly attack on Hindu tourists that killed twenty-six people led to retaliatory airstrikes and drone attacks from both nations.
Q: Why is there concern regarding India’s democratic institutions like the Election Commission?
Opposition leaders fear a lack of independence and political interference, which undermines the fairness of the democratic process in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the status of India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)?
The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions has recommended a downgrade for the NHRC. They have concerns regarding political interference.
Who is being targeted under India’s amended criminal code?
The government uses the amended code to silence peaceful speech. This affects journalists, activists, and social media influencers who criticise the administration.
How are counterterrorism laws being used in India currently?
Authorities use these abusive laws to jail activists and students for extended periods. They do this without filing any formal criminal charges.
Are international relations affected by India’s human rights record?
Surprisingly, several countries have strengthened their economic and security ties with India. This happens despite the documented decline in human rights and freedoms.
