19/09/2025
IJU Demands Journalists’ Safety Law, Uniform Pension Scheme
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has reiterated its demand for a comprehensive journalists’ safety law and a uniform pension scheme for media professionals. The call was made during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the IJU held on Thursday in Siddharth Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
The IJU leadership pressed the Centre to enact a safety law, implement a uniform pension scheme, and amend restrictive digital regulations that threaten press freedom.
The NEC was inaugurated by former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who welcomed delegates from across the country alongside representatives of the Nepal Press Union and Bangladesh Press Union. Pal assured participants that he would raise the issues highlighted by the IJU in Parliament.
In his presidential address, IJU President Geetharta Pathak warned that journalism in India is “under siege” but affirmed that journalists “cannot be silenced.” He stressed the union’s unwavering commitment to truth, democracy, and justice, urging members to return from the NEC with renewed resolve to defend free speech and strengthen professional solidarity.
Pathak also encouraged journalists to adopt new technologies, including digitalization and artificial intelligence, while remaining anchored in ethics and public trust. “AI brings opportunities, from data analysis to investigative reporting, but also challenges—job losses, ethical dilemmas, and the rising tide of misinformation,” he cautioned.
Outlining his one-year roadmap for the IJU, Pathak proposed initiatives such as creating a national legal aid cell for journalists facing police cases, launching a safety helpline for immediate reporting of attacks, capacity building, and strengthening solidarity funds at the state level. He also emphasized lobbying for the long-pending Journalist Protection Bill, forging partnerships with global organizations like IFJ and RSF, and launching campaigns on climate journalism, combating fake news, and defending democratic rights.
IJU Secretary General Sabina, in her remarks, urged affiliates to take a stronger stand against impunity in crimes against journalists. She condemned the killing of Palestinian journalists in the Israel-Gaza conflict and voiced concern over rising attacks on Indian journalists critical of the government.
