The central government has not conducted any assessment to gauge the economic and social impacts of internet shutdowns in India, Union minister of state for communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani informed the Lok Sabha in a written response on Wednesday.
The minister said that the department of telecommunications (DoT) is not undertaking any consultation with the civil society, activists, subject matter experts and researchers on the framing of rules for internet suspension under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
Sekhar was responding to a question raised by Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Benny Behanan, Sukhdeo Bhagat and Harish Chandra Meena.
In another response to a question by BJP MP Sudheer Gupta and Congress MP Chavan Vasantrao Balwantrao, the minister said that the government has not received “stiff reservation” from public or private operators about provisions under which the government can seize control of telecom services on grounds of security and public order.
To be sure, section 20 of the Telecom Act, 2023, under which the government has the power to suspend telecom services for national security, public order and allied reasons, was brought into effect on June 26. However, its implementation is dependent on the “procedure and safeguards as may be prescribed” through rules.
While the DoT has released five sets of draft rules for consultation under different provisions of the Telecom Act, draft rules under section 20 have not yet been released for consultation. On the other hand, operationalising section 21 (also brought into effect on June 26), under which the government can take control of or suspend the operations of a telecom service or a telecom network for reasons related to national security, friendly relations with foreign states, or in the event of war, is not dependent on delegate legislation.
The four Congress MPs had also asked for district-wise and month-wise details of internet shutdown orders issued under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules), 2017 between 2018 and 2024, and if the government was aware that India has reported the highest number of ‘government-implemented’ internet shutdowns in the world.
Sekhar, in his response, reiterated the government’s oft stated stance — since police and public order are state subjects, the DoT does not maintain details about the internet suspension orders issued by state government or union territories.
“However, permissions granted by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for temporary suspension of telecom services are available on the MHA website,” the response read. The orders issued by MHA are available under ‘Circulars’ on their website.
According to the Netloss calculator run by Internet Society, an American nonprofit that focuses on promoting open internet, internet shutdowns in India between January 1 and August 8 this year have led to a GDP loss of more than $14 billion.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
