The government has been reluctant to record them and make the information public. Being listed ahead of nations like Iran and Ukraine, who are responsible for the second-highest number of internet outages after India, does not reflect well on the nation. Worldwide, the shutdowns peaked in 2019, decreased in 2020, and are now resuming their upward trend.Shutting down the internet is against the freedom of speech.
Source: News Click
Ironically, the biggest democracy in the world uses them the most of any nation. Governments impose them as a first line of defence in situations that in no way call for their employment. The majority of the shutdowns occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, although they also occurred in states like Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
Elections, events involving killings, protests by groups of people like farmers, and efforts to stop exam-cheating are a few of the causes. These are flimsy justifications for restricting a fundamental right of the populace. For both enterprises and people, the closures have resulted in significant losses. They disagree with the notion of a Digital India, where residents’ online lives should be disrupted as little as possible.
India may have had economic losses in the range of $2.8 billion in 2020 and $500 million in 2021, according to estimates. Losses are caused by poor communication, which also affects how simple it is to conduct business.
According to a decision by the Supreme Court, decisions to shut down internet services must pass the necessary and proportionality requirements and that their extended suspension is unlawful. These tests are not met by shutdowns that were implemented to cope with civil unrest or stop exam copying.
Source: The Wire
The freedom to access the internet is constitutionally protected, according to the court, and can only be restricted for reasons of national security. The closures might be challenged in court as well. Yet, despite the court’s rulings, they are routinely used in the nation. On internet shutdowns, there is no known policy, code, or procedure.
According to the research, governments use internet shutdowns as tools of control and cloaks of impunity. It is improper to restrict citizens’ freedom with a facility that gives them power.
Are Internet shutdowns healthy for India? Share your views in the comments below.
