{"id":70778,"date":"2026-04-03T18:07:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=70778"},"modified":"2026-04-03T18:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:39:03","slug":"india-65-internet-shutdowns-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-04-2026\/india-65-internet-shutdowns-2025","title":{"rendered":"India recorded 65 Internet Shutdowns in 2025"},"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>As per a report, India imposed <strong>65 internet shutdowns in 2025,<\/strong> the lowest number recorded in the country <strong>since 2017.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Globally, the <strong>Asia Pacific region accounted<\/strong> for the majority of these disruptions, with 195 shutdowns across 11 countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\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.\u00a0<\/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).\u00a0<\/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.\u00a0<\/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<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India Case<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><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.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The apex Court further stated that <strong>imposition of Section 144 <\/strong>can not be used as a mechanism to avoid genuine protest which is permitted under the Constitution.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Section 144<\/strong> has very specific parameters, only if those parameters are satisfied then only a Magistrate can pass the orders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Highlights of the orders:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Usage of the Internet is the <strong>Fundamental Right under Article 19<\/strong> of the Indian Constitution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internet shutdowns can be of <strong>temporary period<\/strong> but not for indefinite period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Government to publish all orders imposing restrictions under Section 144.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Court had also said that any order with regard to Internet Shutdowns will come under <strong>Judicial Scrutiny.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\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 suspends 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.\u00a0<\/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.\u00a0<\/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.\u00a0<\/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.\u00a0<\/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.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Internet shutdowns may be justified in exceptional situations of public emergency, but their frequent and opaque use raises concerns for fundamental rights, economic growth, and democratic governance.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A balanced approach combining legal safeguards, transparency, technological alternatives, and accountability is essential to ensure they remain rare, proportionate, and constitutionally valid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: IE<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> As per a report, India imposed 65 internet shutdowns in 2025, the lowest number recorded in the country since 2017.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Legal Provisions Relating to Internet Shutdown <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Grounds: 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. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> However, the law does not define what qualifies as an emergency or safety issue.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Till the year 2017, shutdowns were imposed largely under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-04-2026\/india-65-internet-shutdowns-2025 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/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-70778","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\/70778","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=70778"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70783,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70778\/revisions\/70783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}