{"id":38028,"date":"2025-02-25T18:59:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T13:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=38028"},"modified":"2025-09-23T18:01:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T12:31:51","slug":"internet-shutdowns-in-india-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-02-2025\/internet-shutdowns-in-india-2","title":{"rendered":"Internet Shutdowns in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to a report by advocacy body \u2018Access Now\u2019, the number of Internet shutdowns are highest in 2024 globally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Global trend<\/strong>: <strong>296<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-12-2024\/internet-shutdowns-in-india\"><strong> Internet shutdowns<\/strong> <\/a>happened globally in <strong>2024<\/strong>, and India\u2019s cumulative <strong>84 curbs accounted for 28% of these.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India had the<strong> second highest number of Internet shutdowns in 2024;<\/strong> Myanmar had one more disruption than India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India&#8217;s total shutdowns in 2024 were fewer compared to the previous year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shutdowns affected 16 States and Union Territories in India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Most Shutdowns:<\/strong> Manipur (21 shutdowns), Haryana (12), and Jammu &amp; Kashmir (12).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reasons for shutdowns: <\/strong>41 related to protests, 23 due to communal violence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"eddfe3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"481\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/top-countries-with-most-number-of-internet-shutdowns-in-2024.webp\" alt=\"top countries with most number of internet shutdowns in 2024\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-38029\" style=\"--dominant-color: #eddfe3; width:430px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/top-countries-with-most-number-of-internet-shutdowns-in-2024.webp 680w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/top-countries-with-most-number-of-internet-shutdowns-in-2024-300x212.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal Provisions Relating to Internet Shutdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Grounds:<\/strong> Indian States and Union Territories can impose an internet shutdown only in case of a \u201cpublic emergency\u201d or in the interest of \u201cpublic safety\u201d, according to the Indian Telegraph Act.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, the law does not define what qualifies as an emergency or safety issue.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Till the year 2017, shutdowns were imposed largely <strong>under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Section 144 of CrPC gave the police and the District Magistrate the powers in order to prevent unlawful gathering of people and also to direct any person to abstain from a certain activity.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2017, the law was amended and the Government promulgated the <strong>Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rule 2017.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These rules outline the procedures and conditions under which internet services can be temporarily suspended.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They require the review of orders by an advisory board within 5 days to ensure the legitimacy of the shutdown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India Case:<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>In 2020<\/strong> the Supreme Court by <strong>ruling on Jammu and Kashmir Internet shutdown <\/strong>held that <strong>indefinite internet shutdowns<\/strong> by the State is not permissible under Indian Constitution.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; The apex Court further stated that <strong>imposition of Section144 <\/strong>can not be used as a mechanism to avoid genuine protest which is permitted under the Constitution.&nbsp;<br>1. <strong>Section 144<\/strong> has very specific parameters, only if those parameters are satisfied then only a Magistrate can pass the orders.<br><strong>Key Highlights of the orders:<\/strong><br>1. Usage of the Internet is the <strong>Fundamental Right under Article 19<\/strong> of the Indian Constitution.<br>2. Internet shutdowns can be of <strong>temporary period<\/strong> but not for indefinite period.<br>3. Government to publish all orders imposing restrictions under Section 144.<br>4. The Court had also said that any order with regard to Internet Shutdowns will come under <strong>Judicial Scrutiny.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments in Favour of Internet Shutdown by the Government<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Security: <\/strong>The government suspend internet services as a temporary and targeted measure to prevent the spread of misinformation, coordinate unlawful activities, or address security threats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Temporary and Targeted Measures:<\/strong> These measures are not meant to infringe on long-term access but rather to address specific and immediate concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Preventing Unrest and Violence: <\/strong>Suspending online communication helps prevent the organization of protests, riots, or other forms of civil unrest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Counteracting Fake News and Disinformation: <\/strong>During times of crisis or conflict, false information circulating online can exacerbate tensions and contribute to misinformation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments Against the Internet Shutdown by the Government<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Impact on Freedom of Expression:<\/strong> Internet shutdowns infringe upon the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Image and Investment: <\/strong>Frequent internet shutdowns impact India&#8217;s global image, raising concerns among investors and international partners.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Rights Concerns: <\/strong>Internet shutdowns raise human rights concerns, including the right to access information, freedom of speech, and the right to peaceful assembly.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Disruptions: <\/strong>India has a rapidly growing digital economy, and internet shutdowns can lead to significant economic losses.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Educational Challenges:<\/strong> With the increasing use of online platforms for education, internet shutdowns severely affect students&#8217; access to learning resources.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Transparency: <\/strong>The government needs to provide clear justifications for such actions and communicate transparently about the duration and reasons for the shutdown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a democracy, governments need to provide a rationale for disrupting the internet services in a periodic manner.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Indiscriminate shutdowns have high social and economic costs and are often ineffective.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For better internet governance the Indian civil society needs to push for a transparent and accountable system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/technology\/internet\/number-of-internet-shutdowns-highest-in-2024-globally-india-tops-in-govt-ordered-curbs\/article69257573.ece#:~:text=296%20Internet%20shutdowns%20happened%20globally,accounted%20for%2028%25%20of%20these&amp;text=India%20did%20not%20impose%20the,by%20advocacy%20body%20Access%20Now.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to a report by advocacy body \u2018Access Now\u2019, the number of Internet shutdowns are highest in 2024 globally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38028"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39694,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38028\/revisions\/39694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}