Nepal has banned several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, for failing to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The ban affects millions of Nepalese citizens and has drawn criticism from journalists and freedom of expression advocates.
At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured on Monday as violent protests by youths rocked the Nepalese capital and certain other areas over the government's decision to ban social media sites, prompting authorities to deploy the army in Kathmandu to control the situation.
A parliamentary panel has sought details from two key government ministries on actions planned against social media platforms and influencers who "seem to be working against national interest" following a recent terror attack in Pahalgam. The panel, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, has asked the ministries of Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology to provide details of any contemplated action to ban such platforms under the IT Act 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. However, a member of the panel, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, has denied receiving any communication related to the issue and claims that the chairperson cannot issue a statement without the approval of the committee.
A parliamentary panel has asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to submit a note on amendments needed in existing laws to clamp down on controversial content like the one involving YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia. Members from different parties voiced concern over Allahbadia's crass comments at a YouTube programme and called for stringent measures to punish him and to ensure that such an incident does not recur. The committee's chairperson and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey shared their concerns at the meeting attended by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju and other senior ministry officials.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is examining the existing statutory provisions and the need for a new legal framework to regulate 'harmful' content amid complaints of 'obscenity and violence' being shown on digital platforms.
Seeking an apology from social media giant Meta for 'tarnishing' India's image, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the Parliament's Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said on Tuesday that the panel will summon the firm following its chairman's comments that India's ruling dispensation lost the Lok Sabha election last year.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier called out the remarks made by Zuckerberg on the Joe Rogan podcast. "Mr. Zuckerberg's claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect," Vaishnaw had said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on January 13.
Buch, under a cloud over allegations of conflict of interest levelled by United States-based short-seller Hindenburg, was asked to appear before the PAC, which is reviewing the performance of the market regulator.
The increased numbers of the Opposition bloc would mean that their MPs are likely to head several more panels than the four that they did by the end of the term of the 17th Lok Sabha.
Managing the senior generals has proven to be quite a headache for General Asim Munir, even as he and his team of loyal henchmen labour hard to dispel the sense of unhappiness among the public about the army's overbearing presence and interference in matters 'civilian', notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
General Syed Asim Munir is now firmly ensconced as army chief after the May 9, 2023 upheavals, which were planned by Imran Khan's supporters to destabilise him, asserts Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
'Unless the government comes up with the rulebook, the technical requirements will not be clear to us.' 'Going by the Act, non-technical provisions can be complied with within six months.' 'But we need up to 24 months for provisions like parental consent.'
In a press statement, the foreign ministry here said 10 Nepali nationals lost their lives in the recent attack by Hamas in Israel.
Think you know everything about Jyotiraditya Scindia?
The JSP has made an electoral alliance with main opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist headed by K P Sharma Oli.
The single-judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit which dictated the operative portion of the judgement also imposed a cost of Rs 50 lakh on Twitter and ordered it to be paid to the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority within 45 days.
Expressing concern over frequent internet shutdown without any empirical study, a Parliamentary panel has pulled up the Department of Telecommunications for not maintaining the record of incidents and inaction on several of its recommendations. The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on 'Suspension of Telecom Services and Internet and its impact' tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday, the panel has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to lay down a clear cut principle of proportionality and procedure for lifting of shutdown in coordination with the home ministry to prevent any misuse of the suspension rules. The panel rejected the logic of the DoT and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for not maintaining the record of the shutdown, saying it cannot simply take the plea that police and public order are essentially state subjects and suspension of the internet does not actually come under the ambit of crimes.
Expressing concern over frequent internet shutdown without any empirical study, a parliamentary panel has pulled up the department of telecommunications for not maintaining the record of incidents and inaction on several of its recommendations.
Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza is the Pakistan army's new chief of general staff, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Significantly, these 12 officers would form a major part of the team that the new army chief will inherit, observes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W, India's external intelligence agency.
The military establishment is in no mood to forgive or forget Imran's anti-military utterances, observes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RAW, India's external intelligence agency.
There were reports of lobbying within the Pakistan army for the ISI DG's post, which falls vacant in June, reveals Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
TMC and other opposition party members rushed into the well of the House as Vaishnaw was called to make a statement over the issue.
The department of post is planning to offer banking services by starting a full-fledged bank, to be named Post Bank of India.
Let's take a look at 30 companies named after people.
The Tata group has touched the lives of millions of Indians since the last 100 years.
Saudi Arabian authorities are likely to impose a ban on the use of smartphone messenger WhatsApp, Internet call service Skype and other instant messaging applications.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar will now get an opportunity to examine issues related to information technology. The Rajya Sabha MP has been included in the Standing Committee on Information and Technology.
30 companies belonging to the Tata group are listed and have a combined market cap of 478,659 crore.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology A Raja said he would consider reducing telephone tariffs after he assumed charge of his ministry.
"India is going through a transformation that I haven't seen in my life happens so quickly," said Minister for Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal, who was the chief guest at India's 64th Republic Day celebrations hosted by the Federation of Indo Americans of Northern America on January 27 in Newark, California.
We ask you to rate the pradhan sevak and his ministers on four criteria: Vision. Execution. Efficiency. And their response to the public.
Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Milind Deora on why he wrote to the President asking that Kasab be executed soon.
When Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Milind Deora wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee asking Kasab be executed soon.
With social networking sites Facebook and Twitter getting popular among masses, the Centre is creating a framework for "Citizen Engagement" to use social media for eliciting public views, an official said on Friday.
In a strange irony, the Twitter account of none other than Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Milind Deora was suspended by the micro-blogging site.
The young minister of State for Communications and Information Technology shares his views on how his professional education has helped him shed the stereotypical image of a politician.
The government has the power to monitor, intercept and even block online conversations and websites.
Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Sachin Pilot on Monday said that the Congress was contemplating taking legal action against Janata Party president Dr Subramaniam Swamy for making 'allegations' against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family on 'flimsy grounds'."All the allegations that he has been making in the 2G spectrum case, particularly against the prime minister and others, are totally baseless and unwarranted," he said.
The government plans to issue UID numbers to 600 million people by 2014.
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