Independent Indian Politician Rajeev Chandrasekhar Nominated for the Index Freedom of Expression Awards

LONDON, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Independent member of the Indian Parliament in the Upper House, is one of two Indians nominated for an award at the Index Freedom of Expression Awards which will take place in London on the 21^st March.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130313/601256 )

Mr Chandrasekhar has been recognized for his tireless efforts to promote the freedom of expression in India, opposing legislation that limits digital freedom and stifles the freedom of expression.

The Index Awards commented: "Rajeev Chandrasekhar has battled tirelessly against growing internet censorship in India, using his position in the upper house of parliament to challenge legislation that chokes digital freedom. Through numerous articles and speeches he has urged the government to revise the 2011 Information Technology Rules and repeal part of the 2008 act on which it is based. He has described both (pieces of legislation) as a serious risk to democracy."

In response to news of his nomination, Mr Chandrasekhar commented: "I'm greatly honored to be nominated for this prestigious reward."

These awards take place annually in recognition of journalists, bloggers, digital activists, campaigners and others around the world who fight vigorously against censorship to protect the freedom of speech. Other nominees for the Award include Pakistani school girl Malala, Pussy Riot - Russian punk group, Greek investigative journalist Kostas Vaxevanis, and Imprisoned Vietnamese blogger Ta Phong Tan.

In an announcement, CEO Kirsty Hughes said "All of this year's nominees have shown great courage in speaking out, and fighting censorship and injustice often in very challenging conditions. Many of them come from established or emerging democracies, reflecting the disturbing fact that censorship is not just the preserve of authoritarian states, and that freedom of expression is an issue that affects us all, wherever we live."

Notes to Editors:

• Rajeev Chandrasekhar serves as an Independent member of the Indian Parliament, representing Karnataka and Bangalore in the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He founded BPL mobile and previously worked as part of the Intel Pentium design team at Intel and took a Masters degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
• Index is an internationally registered charity based in London which campaigns for the freedom of expression. It challenges those who threaten the freedom of speech, and promotes those seeking to preserve and enhance it. These awards seek to raise awareness for the continuous threat against the freedom of speech around the world.
• List of nominees for 2013: http://www.indexoncensorship.org/index-awards-2013/shortlist
• The 2013 awards are the 13th Freedom of Expression Awards. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony which will take place on Thursday 21 March at the Inner Temple, London.

For further information:
Michael Farrant, Project Associates
+44-(0)207-321-0773